密歇根新闻广播 被侵蚀的海岸线

 

Record high water levels in the Great Lakes are wreaking¹ havoc² on Michigan’s shorelines. Dramatic erosion along the shore has put both private homes and public infrastructure³ at risk. Randy Claypool, aerial videographer and owner of Truly Michigan Aerial, captured footage that shows just how severe erosion is along Lake Michigan.

“We’re actually recording⁴ history because the water level has exceeded record levels, so we are experiencing something people have never seen,” Claypool said.

Claypool and his team flew from the St. Joseph area all the way up the Lake Michigan shoreline on June 5, 2019 to capture video of the eroded⁵ shoreline. Six months later, they flew back over the same route. Claypool said it was clear on the second trip that the erosion had worsened.

“The erosion was dramatic and the most dramatic areas, of course, were the high bluffs⁷ where the waves could eat at the bottom and create the erosion," Claypool said. "And we saw houses on the edge of the hills and whole trees that have fallen from the cliffs.”

Late last year, a house in Muskegon fell into Lake Michigan after erosion destabilized the sandy bluff⁶ on which it sat. Many neighboring houses were also teetering on the edge of the bluff. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) has expedited permit approval for projects like seawalls to help mitigate⁸ the erosion.

It isn't just private homes that are feeling the impact of erosion. On Monday, Michigan lawmakers joined officials from several state departments, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Army Corps⁹ of Engineers in Lansing to talk about options for tackling the erosion’s impact on public infrastructure. The Michigan Department of Transportation is currently tracking 40 sites that have been compromised in some way by erosion.

According to Brad Wieferich, director of the Bureau of Development for MDOT, erosion is causing costly¹⁰ and unexpected issues for the department. The damage to roads varies; some are inundated¹¹ with water from high water levels, while erosion of the ground underneath¹² is causing others to slope. In the most severe cases, sections of road have actually collapased.

“We just don’t know if it’s the new normal. We have to plan for cases that we otherwise had not been planning for,” said Wieferich.

Conservative estimates put the cost at $5 million to make the roads passable and long term costs could surpass $100 million, said Wieferich. But he cautioned that these are early estimates, which could change as water levels continue to rise.

This post was written by Stateside production assistant Olive Scott.

1 wreaking   

诉诸（武力），施行（暴力），发（脾气）( wreak的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Coal mining is a messy business, often wreaking terrible environmental damage nearby. 采矿是肮脏的行业，往往会严重破坏周边环境。
• The floods are wreaking havoc in low-lying areas. 洪水正在地势低洼地区肆虐。

2 havoc   

n.大破坏，浩劫，大混乱，大杂乱

参考例句：

• The earthquake wreaked havoc on the city.地震对这个城市造成了大破坏。
• This concentration of airborne firepower wrought havoc with the enemy forces.这次机载火力的集中攻击给敌军造成很大破坏。

3 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

4 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

5 eroded   

adj. 被侵蚀的，有蚀痕的 动词erode的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• The cliff face has been steadily eroded by the sea. 峭壁表面逐渐被海水侵蚀。
• The stream eroded a channel in the solid rock. 小溪在硬石中侵蚀成一条水道。

6 bluff   

v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗

参考例句：

• His threats are merely bluff.他的威胁仅仅是虚张声势。
• John is a deep card.No one can bluff him easily.约翰是个机灵鬼。谁也不容易欺骗他。

7 bluffs   

恐吓( bluff的名词复数 )； 悬崖； 峭壁

参考例句：

• Two steep limestone bluffs rise up each side of the narrow inlet. 两座陡峭的石灰石断崖耸立在狭窄的入口两侧。
• He bluffs his way in, pretending initially to be a dishwasher and then later a chef. 他虚张声势的方式，假装最初是一个洗碗机，然后厨师。

8 mitigate   

vt.（使）减轻，（使）缓和

参考例句：

• The government is trying to mitigate the effects of inflation.政府正试图缓和通货膨胀的影响。
• Governments should endeavour to mitigate distress.政府应努力缓解贫困问题。

9 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

10 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

11 inundated   

v.淹没( inundate的过去式和过去分词 )；（洪水般地）涌来；充满；给予或交予（太多事物）使难以应付

参考例句：

• We have been inundated with offers of help. 主动援助多得使我们应接不暇。
• We have been inundated with every bit of information imaginable. 凡是想得到的各种各样的信息潮水般地向我们涌来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 underneath   

adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面

参考例句：

• Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。
• She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣，里面套着一条连衣裙。