122 Levees At Risk, Engineers Say
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
WASHINGTON — One hundred twenty-two levees from Maryland to California are at risk of failing, according to a list released yesterday by the Army Corps of Engineers.
The list was released in response to Freedom of Information Act requests filed by news organizations, including the Associated Press.
If the corps determines a levee to be at risk of failing, homeowners in that area could be required to purchase flood insurance, though exceptions can be made.
Communities near the levees have been notified that they have received an “unacceptable maintenance inspection rating.”
That means a levee has one or more problems, which can include movement of floodwalls, faulty culverts, animal burrows, erosion, or tree growth, according to a statement released by the Corps.
