alt Hacker NewsFor a bit of context, Juneau Alaska deals with a smaller scale version of this most years. There's a bowl off of the Mendenhall Glacier named Suicide Basin. Each summer that basin gets filled with meltwater, which forms a lake because the glacier blocks the water from leaving the basin. At some point the lake fills with enough water that part of the blockage gives way and the lake suddenly releases.
In Juneau, this is a well-defined basin with well-established dynamics. The city still wrestles with how best to handle this. Recent years have seen higher river levels when the basin releases, and the downstream banks of the Mendenhall River have eroded much faster than people were expecting. The city and individual homeowners are engaged in multiple projects to manage the annual flooding.
In the Nepal case the scale is much larger, and the variables are less known and less stable. This is absolutely devastating to see.
https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/2026/08/12/juneau-officials-...
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I completely disagree. The variables in these situations are WELL known. The difference is scale, and in the Himalayas there is no cost effective, completely safe way to deal with them. The hydroelectric potential in that part of the world is the main driver for the continuous build -> flood --> destruction --> build cycle. Obviously, the last event was nothing short of astonishing, devastating and horrific. The worst part is that it will happen again, just differently.
Reminds me of the Fargo-Moorhead diversion project. The Red River flows north through Fargo, which means that down-river portions can ice over in the winter and cause upstream flooding. The diversion project should wrap up soon, and hopefully it works. As I understand it, the city is going to appeal with insurance companies to drop costly flood insurance requirements.