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Earth 8: Rising waters threaten inland shores in addition to coastlines

A string of unusually wet years in the upper Midwest has the Great Lakes bursting at the seams and residents seeking higher ground.

SAN DIEGO — The Pacific and Atlantic coastlines aren’t the only places facing rising waters as a result of climate change. A string of unusually wet years in the upper Midwest has the Great Lakes bursting at the seams and residents seeking higher ground. 

According to reports by the Associated Press, there is no relief is in sight for the area. Forecasters expect the lakes to remain high well into 2020. 

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Homes and businesses have flooded, roads and sidewalks are crumbling and beaches are washing away. Homeowners and agencies are extending battered seawalls, constructing berms and piling stones and sandbags. Some are elevating houses or moving them farther inland.  

Less than a decade ago, the Great Lakes had the opposite problem: levels were at record lows. Experts say these abrupt swings may continue as global warming brings more extreme storms and droughts. 

News 8 meteorologist Shawn Styles give details in this Earth 8 report.  

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