The southeastern U.S. has captured our attention over the last month with the barrage of hurricanes that have passed through the region, causing mass destruction from wind and floodwater. The storms harken back memories of the nation’s last extreme hurricane — Ida ripped through part of the Gulf Coast in 2021.

Minnesota is more connected to the flooding and land loss that region faces than you might think. The way we control the Mississippi River has serious implications on the future of that land.

Minnesota journalist Katie Thornton looked into that connection in a sprawling report about the politics of dams and levees in The Guardian. She joined the program to share what she found.