The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) established the Levee Safety Program in 2006 to work alongside levee sponsors and communities with levees within the USACE Levee Safety Program to better understand, prioritize, and manage the flood risks associated with levees. Levee systems are part of our nation’s landscape and important to communities because of the benefits they provide. For example, more than ten million people live or work behind these levees nationwide. And, public and private property worth more than one trillion dollars are behind these levees. Over 700 miles of levees are within the St. Louis District alone, which benefit over 200,000 people and $24 Billion in property value.
Its important to recognize that while these levee systems reduce flood risk to people, businesses, critical infrastructure and the environment, they don’t eliminate flooding. Additionally, levee conditions, storm/flood intensity and frequency, and populations around these levees change. So, working together to continuously assess, manage and communicate flood risks to residents and businesses is our priority because, more than anything, life safety is paramount.
Our partners play an important role in levee safety because we all must work together, sharing responsibility, to solve and manage flood risk management challenges. Ultimately, individuals who know what to do before a flood or storm happens can make our communities safer places to live and work.