Levees provide tremendous benefits to communities. For example levee systems in 2011 contributed to more than $120 billion of damages prevented. But with those benefits come risks. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Levee Safety Program works to better understand, manage, and reduce the flood risks associated with levees.
We maintain a national inventory of levee systems and make the information available in the National Levee Database.
We inspect and assess about 2,500 levee systems nationwide, and use the data to prioritize action.
We communicate risk-related issues and concerns, holding life safety as paramount, and support USACE and local decisions aimed at reducing risk.
Recognizing that managing risk is a shared responsibility, we work closely with federal, state, local and international partners to share information and develop solutions.
Key Levee Safety Activities