Floodsmart.gov The official site of the National Flood Insurance Program
Skip navigation links
Home
Flooding and Flood Risk
Residential Coverage
Commercial Coverage
Preparation & Recovery
Home
Flooding and Flood Risk
- What Causes Flooding
- Tropical Storms and Hurricanes
- Spring Thaw
- Heavy Rains
- West Coast Threats
- Levees & Dams
- Flash Floods
- New Development
- Defining Flood Risks
- Understanding Flood Maps
- Undergoing a Map Change
- Flood Risk Scenarios
- The Cost of Flooding
Residential Coverage
Commercial Coverage
Preparation & Recovery
Email UpdatesFlooding & Flood Risks
Levees & Dams
Levees are designed to protect against a certain level of flooding. However, levees can and do decay over time, making maintenance a serious challenge. Levees can also be overtopped, or even fail during large floods, creating more damage than if the levee wasn’t even there.
Because of the escalating flood risks in areas with levees, especially in the mid-west, FEMA strongly recommends flood insurance for all homeowners in these areas.
See a Dams/Levees scenario right now.
Last Updated: Wednesday, 28-Oct-2009, 2:15 PM (EDT)
500 C Street SW, Washington, D.C. 20472
Disaster Assistance: (800) 621-FEMA, TTY (800) 462-7585
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
FEMA Home | Contact FEMA |
Privacy Policy | Important Notices |
FOIA | USA.gov | DHS