Seattle-based emergency management specialist provides valuable leadership on USACE flood mitigation efforts in Mendenhall Valley

Recurring glacial outburst floods in southeast Alaska’s Mendenhall Valley present a challenging and complicated issue for homeowners and businesses in Juneau. Each year, summer temperatures at the upstream glacier cause a torrent of glacial water to inundate the Mendenhall River, threatening infrastructure and public safety. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is actively working with the City and Borough of Juneau and other stakeholders to construct effective flood risk mitigation solutions, assembling materials and experienced professionals from across the country to work toward an effective solution for Juneau.

Daryl Downing works as an emergency management specialist in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Seattle District. Since joining the Seattle team in 2011, he has gained expertise in a variety of emergency missions falling under Public Law 84-99 Advance Measures, which gives USACE the authority to assist communities with activities related to flooding.

“I have had the opportunity to gain experience on some complicated emergency projects including levee rehabilitation, advance measures and other flood response activities during my career,” Downing said. “The work is incredibly rewarding when you see the positive impact that our efforts have in places that really need it.”

On critical projects such as Mendenhall, individual districts are sometimes less equipped to manage emergency efforts without outside assistance. Needs for additional staff and specific expertise can create demand for volunteers such as Downing to offer their support.

“If a local district does not have the adequate number of personnel for this kind of project, they are able to reach out to the entire USACE enterprise and request support,” he said. “There is a wide latitude of reasons why a district would require help from outside their area of responsibility, and the urgency of this flood fight certainly has the attention of a lot of people around the organization.”

In 2025, Downing began to support the PL 84-99 mission in the Mendenhall Valley as a project manager. In this role, he serves as a key coordinator and planner for the construction effort, often traveling between Seattle and Juneau to engage with stakeholders, media, public and construction teams to execute the work and ensure information is shared efficiently with all parties.

“I have flown to Juneau nearly every week over the last couple months,” he said. “Those trips are really important to make sure that construction is progressing smoothly, engage with the community and identify issues before they arise.”

In addition to Downing, multiple staff from other USACE districts across the country are contributing on-ground to the Mendenhall effort. Construction oversight, flood response engineering and emergency management are each supported by USACE employees from outside Alaska. Furthermore, the National Flood Fight Materiel Center at the Rock Island District in Illinois supplied extensive flood fighting equipment including pumps and barriers in shipments bound for Juneau.

“We currently have five people in Juneau full-time overseeing construction and coordinating outreach for our current construction activities,” he said. “It is a very experienced and diverse team covering multiple important disciplines, and that support from outside Alaska is very important to tackling this project.”

Col. Jeffrey Palazzini, commander of the Alaska District, and leaders throughout USACE understand the urgency of the Mendenhall flood fighting project and appreciate the contribution of professionals such as Downing. For emergency efforts in all corners of the nation, the ability to quickly amass personnel and supplies to areas of deep need is critical.

“Experts like Daryl are a real testament to the commitment of the entire enterprise for the Mendenhall Valley flood mitigation effort,” Palazzini said. “The Corps of Engineers is built to respond to challenges like this, and we are a proud partner of the Juneau community in pursuing a solution to this ongoing issue.”

Downing estimates that the construction team will have all Phase Two flood protection measures in place in the Mendenhall Valley by July 15. If future phases are requested by the City and Borough of Juneau and approved by USACE, he is willing to provide support to a future flood fighting effort.

“If the Alaska District is looking for additional support on this effort after Phase Two, I’m willing to help out,” he said. “It is a really important project, and it has been very satisfying to see our progress for the community of Juneau on such an accelerated timeline.”