Michigan dam flooding highlights risks to aging US infrastructure

Record flooding last month pushed several northern Michigan dams close to failure, with water nearly spilling over a key barrier in one city. The events have renewed calls to address the nation's aging dams amid intensifying storms driven by climate change.

Flooding across northern Michigan last month swelled rivers to record levels. At the Cheboygan Dam, water came within 5 inches of flowing over the top on April 16, prompting officials to consider evacuations. In Bellaire, crews placed about 1,000 sandbags around a century-old structure to prevent overflow.

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