The glacial flooding that sent residents of Alaska’s capital city scrambling this week has become an annual ordeal for those who live along the picturesque river that winds from the nearby Mendenhall Glacier.

Alaska's capital suffered massive flooding and record-high water levels after an ice dam burst at a nearby glacier, releasing a powerful surge of rainwater and snowmelt. The Mendenhall River overflowed earlier in the day,

Mendenhall River runs through Juneau, Alaska. The river rose to a record level, but temporary barriers largely kept major flooding at bay.