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Levees are designed to protect against a certain level of flooding. However, levees can and and do decay over time, making maintenance a serious challenge. Levees can also be overtopped, or even fail during large floods. Because of the escalating flood risks in areas with levees, FEMA strongly recommends flood insurance for all homeowners in these areas. Homeowners should also develop a disaster plan. To download FEMA's Family Disaster Plan Guide, click here.
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:
Levees are designed to provide a specific level of protection. but they can fail for a variety of reasons. Find Out More
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