Floodsmart.gov The official site of the National Flood Insurance Program

Call toll free: 1-888-379-9531 or have us call you

• Agent Site
• Agent Locator
• Community Resources
• File Your Claim
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Glossary
• Flood Facts
• Media Resources
• Toolkits
•  Email Updates

  Levees are man-made structures, usually an earthen embankment, designed and constructed with sound engineering practices to contain, control or divert the flow of water in order to provide protection from temporary flooding. A levee is built parallel to a body of water (most often a river) to protect the lives and properties behind it. There are currently thousands of miles of levees across the country providing some level of protection for millions of people, so it is important for individuals to understand the risks associated with living behind levees. No levee provides full protection from flooding - even the best flood-control structure cannot completely eliminate the risk of flooding. But there are constant efforts being made by a variety of organizations to reduce that risk and keep levees operating efficiently.

While the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) operates, maintains and evaluates levees to determine if they meet accreditation requirements, most levees are owned by local communities and flood control districts who must ensure proper operation and maintenance of the levee system as well. The role of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is to identify and map the flood risk behind the levee based on that evaluation. Even with these collaborative efforts, there is still a risk for levee failure. And if a levee fails, the flood damage can be catastrophic.

So, while property owners may be aware that they live near a levee, they may not be aware of the true risk. Property owners should consider financially protecting their home, business and/or contents with flood insurance. Many of these homes and businesses may qualify for the low-cost Preferred Risk Policy, with premiums starting as low as $129 for a home and its contents.

There is typically a 30-day waiting period for a policy to become effective, so don't wait for the next heavy rain to protect your home. For more information about levees and the risk of living near them, contact your local community official to request information about levees in your area or visit:

• http://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorks/LeveeSafetyProgram.aspx to learn about the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer's role with levees
• http://www.fema.gov/living-levees-its-shared-responsibility to learn more about FEMA's role with levees and the risk of living behind levees
• http://www.asce.org/Content.aspx?id=2147488910 for the American Society of Civil Engineers' levee preparedness guide for the public
• http://www.ready.gov/emergency-planning-checklists for FEMA's Family Disaster Plan Guide
• http://www.nfrmp.us/ncls/ to learn about the National Committee on Levee Safety and their recommendations for a National Levee Safety Program