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

Days of intense rain and snowmelt overwhelmed old dams and breached roads, forcing evacuations. Nearly half the counties in Michigan – often seen as a climate haven – were under a state of emergency.

By: Richard B. (Ricky) Rood, University of Michigan, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: April 22, 2026

Words: 1,071

Last Updated: 3 months, 1 week ago

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By 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. …

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