Value to the Nation logo graphic

Value to the Nation

Redirecting...

Value to the Nation: Flood Risk Management Fast Facts

One of the most prominent USACE's Civil Works programs is the Flood Risk Management program. The types of infrastructure that fall under this category of investment include levees, storage reservoirs, and other types of floodplain management structural measures. Some of these projects may have multiple purposes. For example, reservoirs that help prevent flooding may also provide storage for water supply and produce hydropower. This infrastructure includes approximately 715 dams and 4,100 miles of levees. In addition to operating and maintaining this infrastructure, USACE has an active role in assessing, managing, and communicating the associated flood risk.

USACE annually tracks Flood Risk Management programmatic benefits in its Annual Flood Damage Report to Congress. Each Annual Flood Damage Report includes assessments of flood damages, acres inundated, property damages, loss of life, and damages prevented by previously completed flood risk management projects (not including reductions in damages from coastal storm surge impacts).

Flood Risk Management Fast Facts Reports

Select 2021 Flood Risk Management Fast Facts Reports from the USACE Digital Library collections:

You can select an individual report, or go to a collection of reports. For a list of all reports in a collection, for example, in the state report collection, select "All State Reports".

Flood Risk Management Fast Facts Archive

Collapse All Expand All
 2020 Flood Risk Management Fast Facts


Select 2020 Flood Risk Management Fast Facts Reports from the USACE Digital Library collections:

You can select an individual report, or go to a collection of reports. For a list of all reports in a collection, for example, in the state report collection, select "All State Reports".

How these numbers were calculated.

 2019 Flood Risk Management Fast Facts


Select 2019 Flood Risk Management Fast Facts Reports from the USACE Digital Library collections:

You can select an individual report, or go to a collection of reports. For a list of all reports in a collection, for example, in the state report collection, select "All State Reports".

How these numbers were calculated.

 2018 Flood Risk Management Fast Facts


Select 2018 Flood Risk Management Fast Facts Reports from the USACE Digital Library collections:

You can select an individual report, or go to a collection of reports. For a list of all reports in a collection, for example, in the state report collection, select "All State Reports".

How these numbers were calculated.

 2017 Flood Risk Management Fast Facts


Select 2017 Flood Risk Management Fast Facts Reports from the USACE Digital Library collections:

You can select an individual report, or go to a collection of reports. For a list of all reports in a collection, for example, in the state report collection, select "All State Reports".

How these numbers were calculated.

 2016 Flood Risk Management Fast Facts


Select 2016 Flood Risk Management Fast Facts Reports from the USACE Digital Library collections:

You can select an individual report, or go to a collection of reports. For a list of all reports in a collection, for example, in the state report collection, select "All State Reports".

How these numbers were calculated.

More Information

Collapse All Expand All
 Benefits in Perspective


The estimates of Flood Risk Management benefits presented here are taken from the data supporting the Annual Flood Damage Report, and are related to the flood damages prevented by USACE-controlled reservoir projects, levees, shore protection projects, and emergency operations. The Flood Risk Management benefits are an estimate of the monetary value of damages that floods would have caused in the absence of USACE investments that were put in place to prevent those damages. It should be noted that each Flood Risk Management benefit estimate is based on the weather conditions for the given year (so years with many storms likely show greater benefits than non-stormy years since damages prevented are measured as benefits).

 How these numbers were calculated


The flood risk management (FRM) program is a prominent activity within USACE Civil Works. The types of infrastructure that fall under this category of investment include levees, storage reservoirs, and other floodplain management measures. Some of these projects may have multiple purposes. For example, reservoirs that help reduce flood risk also may provide storage for water supply and produce hydropower. The Economic and Environmental Principles and Guidelines for Water and Land Resources Implementation Studies (1983) (referred to as the P&G) provides a conceptual basis for various National Economic Development (NED) benefit estimation procedures by area of study. For FRM, the P&G suggests, in general, NED benefits are realized through reductions in flood hazards that accrue primarily through the reduction in actual or potential damages associated with land use. Following that guidance, the FRM NED benefits used in the Value to the Nation effort are an estimate of the monetary value of damages floods would have caused in absence of the USACE investments put in place to prevent those damages. Reductions in damages from coastal storm surge impacts are not included in the benefit estimate.

USACE annually tracks FRM programmatic benefits in its Annual Flood Damage Report to Congress. Each Annual Flood Damage Report includes assessments of flood damages, acres inundated, property damages, loss of life, and damages prevented by previously completed flood risk management projects (not including coastal storm damage reduction). FRM benefits are dependent upon the value of structures in the floodplain, which may increase over time. The benefit estimates also vary significantly from year-to-year because they are based on the weather conditions for the given year (years with many floods are likely to show greater benefits than years with less flooding since damages prevented are measured as benefits). A 10-year average is often used to account for high year-to-year variability.

Sources of Data