HomeCruiseNorwegian Cruise Donates $50K to Juneau Flood Reduction

Norwegian Cruise Donates $50K to Juneau Flood Reduction


Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) introduced it might donate $50,000 to assist with the latest flooding in Juneau, Alaska. 

A large white Norwegian cruise ship with colorful designs on its hull sails on calm, greenish water near Juneau's mountainous landscape covered in dense greenery under a clear blue sky.
NCL Jewel at Juneau, Alaska (Picture courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line)
Dan Farkas, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings’ govt vp, chief improvement officer, and common counsel, described NCL’s ties with town. “We’re deeply related to the Juneau neighborhood, and witnessing the devastation from the latest flood has been heart-wrenching,” he stated in a press launch.

“Juneau isn’t just a vacation spot for us; it’s a neighborhood we really care about… Our donation is concentrated on offering direct monetary reduction to assist households rebuild their lives and facilitate a quick return to normalcy,” Farkas added.

The sum has been endorsed to the Juneau Group Basis which is able to deal with its disbursement to affected residents.

Glacial Floods Overwhelm Juneau

Aerial view of a residential area in Juneau heavily flooded with water encroaching on houses and streets, surrounded by dense forest. In this Norwegian landscape, a few elevated areas remain dry, highlighting the urgent need for flood-relief efforts.
(Picture courtesy of Alaska Nationwide Guard)

Floodwaters surged into the capital’s northern area final Tuesday, August 6. As of Friday, they’d reportedly affected over 300 houses whereas damaging numerous autos. Officers described it as “unprecedented” with waters rising to traditionally new highs.

Juneau’s Deputy Metropolis Supervisor, Robert Barr, advised CNN that nobody had been injured, although some streets had as much as 4 toes of water, presumably extra. In the meantime, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy declared the catastrophe to facilitate town’s speedy response and restoration.

The place Did the Water Come From?

Graph depicting streamflow at Mendenhall Lake in Juneau, Alaska, showing data from 2023 and 2024. The 2024 peak, occurring on August 6, surpasses the 2023 peak on August 5, measured in thousand cubic feet per second. This information is critical for flood-relief planning.
Streamflow at Mendenhall Lake throughout the earlier record-high outburst flood, in 2023 (blue line), and through the brand new file occasion on August 6, 2024 (orange line). NOAA Local weather.gov picture, primarily based on knowledge from the U.S. Geological Survey.

The floodwaters originated from the Mendenhall and Suicide glaciers, that are melting at an alarming fee. Water collected within the Suicide Basin and overflowed, gushing into Mendenhall River which likewise spilled over and overwhelmed town. 

Final week, the Suicide Basin was abruptly drained of greater than 400 toes of water. It misplaced over 350 toes of melted ice inside 24 hours from Monday to Tuesday. This local weather change phenomenon is named a glacial lake outburst flood.

They’ve been occurring in Juneau since 2011. This yr’s floods have been notably extreme because the Nationwide Climate Service reported that the river crested 15.99 toes on Tuesday, a foot increased than 2023.

Several people in military uniforms and a person in construction gear work with a bulldozer to clear debris on a residential street following flood-relief efforts. In the background, the houses and mountains of Juneau stand resilient.
(Picture courtesy of Alaska Nationwide Guard)

Residents, volunteers, and clean-up crews have spent the previous few days clearing the Alaskan metropolis of assorted particles, together with trash, giant home equipment, hazardous waste, and building supplies. 

Other than Norwegian Cruise Line, native organizations just like the Alaska Division of Homeland Safety and Emergency Administration in addition to the American Purple Cross Alaska have pitched in by providing monetary help to householders.

Situated on the coronary heart of the Inside Passage, the borough is a well-liked cruise vacation spot. Members of the area people have sought to control the business by advocating for rules like every day passenger limits and ship-free Saturdays.