Old Dams Are at Greater Risk in Wisconsin, Michigan

Old dams are at greater risk in Wisconsin, Michigan

Parts of Wisconsin and Michigan are in the midst of historic flooding this spring. Days of heavy rainfall on top of snow have sent lakes and rivers over their banks and threatened several dams in both states, forcing people to…

Extreme rain on snow is testing aging dams across Michigan and Wisconsin—this is the future in a warming world

Michigan and parts of Wisconsin are in the midst of a historic flooding event in spring 2026. Days of heavy rainfall on top of snow have sent lakes and rivers over their banks and threatened several dams in both states, forcing people to evacuate homes downstream. By April 20, 2026, nearly half of Michigan's counties were under a state of emergency. In Cheboygan, Michigan, large pumps were brought in to lower pressure on a century-old dam in the

Extreme rain on snow is testing aging dams across Michigan and Wisconsin

Richard B. (Ricky) Rood, University of Michigan Michigan and parts of Wisconsin are in the midst of a historic flooding event in spring 2026. Days of heavy rainfall on top of snow have sent lakes and rivers over their banks and threatened several dams in both states, forcing people to evacuate homes downstream. By April 20, 2026, nearly half of Michigan’s counties were under a state of emergency. In Cheboygan, Michigan, large pumps were brought …

Extreme rain on snow is testing aging dams across Michigan and Wisconsin – this is the future in a warming world

In the upper Midwest, aging infrastructure, from dams to city drains, was overwhelmed by floodwater in April 2026. Jonathan Aguilar/Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service/CatchLight via Getty ImagesMichigan and parts of Wisconsin are in the midst of a historic flooding event in spring 2026. Days of heavy rainfall on top of snow have sent lakes and rivers over their banks and threatened several dams in both states, forcing people to evacuate homes d…

Extreme rain on snow is testing aging dams across Michigan and Wisconsin — this is the future in a warming world

Richard B. (Ricky) Rood, University of Michigan Michigan and parts of Wisconsin are in the midst of a historic flooding event in spring 2026. Days of heavy rainfall on top of snow have sent lakes and rivers over their banks and threatened several dams in both states, forcing people to evacuate homes downstream. By April 20, 2026, nearly half of Michigan’s counties were under a state of emergency. In Cheboygan, Michigan, large pumps were brought …

Pushed to the brink: Michigan dams were inches from disaster

Dam safety officials say Michigan came far closer to a broad dam disaster during this month’s historic flooding than the public may fully realize. Read the full story by MLive.