Minnesota dam failure: Hundreds of US dams could also be unprepared for excessive rain pushed by local weather change

The close to failure of a century-old dam in Minnesota has drawn renewed consideration to the vulnerability of the US’s ageing water infrastructure. Hundreds of dams are in poor situation, and plenty of have been designed based mostly on estimates of maximum rain which will now be outdated as climate change drives stronger precipitation in some components of the nation.

“The state of the infrastructure is such that it’s not in a position to withstand even minor occasions in lots of circumstances,” says Upmanu Lall at Arizona State College.

Of the nation’s extra…