The flooding from the Klehini river spills onto the Porcupine Road. The Haines Borough has closed the road due to safety concerns. (Photo Courtesy of Darsie Culbeck)
Recent warm weather has increased snow and glacial melt, leading to flood advisories in the Haines Borough.
Porcupine Road is closed due to flooding along the Klehini River. The route is located off the Haines Highway about 25 miles from town. It is used for recreation and Constantine Metal Resources houses its seasonal basecamp at the end of the road.
Constantine’s camp is still accessible via the Sunshine Mountain Road. It is unclear when Porcupine Road will reopen.
Separately, the National Weather Service (NWS) in Juneau issued a flood warning for the Chilkat River yesterday. The advisory was called off this morning as the rise in water level began to slow. At 10 a.m. the river level was just over 127 feet. Minor flood stage is 128 feet.
Temperatures are starting to cool down, which will create less snowmelt. A spokesman for NWS said the Chilkat is expected to hover around bankfull for the next 36 hours and then diminish into the weekend.
NWS did not have enough information to determine if the level of the Klehini would stabilize in the coming days as well.
