Officials say new barriers protected against the kind of major damage inflicted during last year’s destructive Suicide Basin release, though high water inundated numerous areas.

A huge basin of rainwater and snowmelt dammed by Alaska’s Mendenhall Glacier has started to release, sending a potentially record surge of flooding toward parts of Juneau.

USGS streamgages show flood conditions are now underway, with live cameras providing real-time views on the USGS HIVIS website. Glacier-caused flooding has become an annual threat since 2011, with record-breaking floods over the past two years that impacted more than 300 homes and threatened public safety.