A report last week by the Army Corps of Engineers that 122 levees from Rhode Island to California are at risk of failing could set in motion a process whereby many more homeowners could find themselves in a floodplain and be required to purchase flood insurance. Butch Kinerney of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) said residents of communities near some levees could be in danger and have to pay more for flood insurance.  Should the Corps determine a levee is at risk of failing, homeowners in the area could be required to buy flood insurance if repairs are not made. Twenty-seven states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico had threatened levees, though only two had more than a handful. California led the list with 37 and Washington State had 19.

Major Gen. Don Riley, director of civil works for the Corps said he could not say how many people potentially could be at risk from the levees on the list. He offered no estimates for the potential costs of repairs, but said the federal government would not cover the bill for local governments. He said the Corps does not have the money to maintain levees owned by communities, and keeps up only those on federal land. When the Corps’ inspections turn up deficiencies, it notifies FEMA, which can declare a community to be in a flood plain. That requires homeowners in the flood plain to buy flood insurance.

Levees in 27 States at Risk of Failing; Could Trigger Flood Insurance Mandate (Insurance Journal 2/5/07)
 
Army Corps of Engineers List of Threatened Levees (PDF file)

February 6, 2007