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America’s Aging Dams Are a Catastrophe Waiting to Happen


Climate change presents a growing threat to the nation’s nearly 92,000 dams, many of which are more than 100 years old, as heavy rainfall, flooding, and other forms of extreme weather become more common and severe.

Minnesota’s century-old Rapidan Dam captured the national spotlight last week when its partial failure destroyed a home and prompted county officials to demolish an adjacent store. The incident, which occurred amid days of historic flooding across the Midwest that left two people dead and broke records in at least 10 places, highlights the growing threat climate change poses to the country’s aging infrastructure as extreme weather becomes more common and severe. Inside Climate News’ analysis of that database found that nearly 4,100 dams nationwide are in poor or unsatisfactory condition while also posing a potential threat to human life or property.

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