Close Calls at Michigan's Dams Are a Climate Warning to America

Close calls at Michigan's dams are a climate warning to America

Flooding across northern Michigan last month pushed rivers to record levels, testing the limits of the state’s aging dams so severely that officials in one city nearly ordered evacuations as water threatened to spill over the top of a key barrier — a close call that highlights the growing risk that intensifying storms pose to similar infrastructure around the country. Nationwide, the average dam is 64 years old and most were built for rainfall p…

How do we adapt Michigan’s dams to climate change? - WDET 101.9 FM

The record-high rainfall for some parts of northern Michigan — combined with melt from March’s above-average snow — pushed infrastructure to the brink across the region in Cheboygan, Bellaire and other cities. For some, the flooding was a reminder of our vulnerabilities in the face of extreme weather, which is expected to worsen as our climate continues to shift. “This needs to be considered not the worst we can experience. This needs to be cons…

How do we adapt Michigan’s dams to climate change?

By Vivian La, IPR This story is made possible through a partnership between Interlochen Public Radio and Grist, a nonprofit environmental media organization. As waters recede across northern Michigan waterways from last week’s historic flooding, local leaders, advocates and experts are renewing calls to bolster safety regulations, upgrade or remove some of the state’s aging dams. The record-high rainfall for some parts of northern Michigan — com…