In Milwaukee, every flush and drain leads to Kevin Shafer. As the executive director of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, he manages a system where extreme weather can force difficult choices between river releases and flooded basements. When a thousand-year storm overwhelmed the system in August 2025, Shafer faced an important decision. This story was made in partnership with the Points North Podcast at Interlochen Public Radio.
#GreatLakes #LakeMichigan #Flood #Weather #Rain #Infrastructure
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END CREDITS:
“Where do you put a thousand-year flood?” was produced by Great Lakes Now/Detroit PBS in partnership with Interlochen Public Radio.
Produced and Written by
Dan Wanschura
Rob Green
Narrated by
Dan Wanschura
Edited by
Jordan Wingrove
Camera
Dusan Harminc
Nick Loud
Additional Material
Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District
TMJ4 News
WISN 12 News
FOX6 News
CBS 58
Nicki Cheever
4Jay Films
Corey Hafemeister
Barbara Jayne
Dawn Perry
Troy Vosseller
U.S. National Archives
PBS Wisconsin
Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere at Colorado State University
U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
