Pennsylvania’s aging levees are under pressure from scarce funding and severe weather

Pennsylvania has over 180 levees, which are earthen embankments built along rivers to prevent flooding. These levees span about 155 miles (255 kilometers) and protect around 158,000 people as well as property worth US$26.2 billion. Most of these levees were constructed between 1950 and 1970 under the Flood Control Act of 1936, a U.S. federal law aimed at reducing flood damage. Levees are designed to handle floods with a 1% chance of occurring in any given year, meaning they are built to withstand events that have a low but not impossible probability. However, these structures are aging, with many exceeding their typical 50-year design life, which raises concerns about their long-term effectiveness.

Flood risks in Pennsylvania are rising due to more frequent and severe extreme weather events. From 1958 to 2021, the amount of rainfall during the top 1% heaviest storms in the Northeast U.S. increased by 60%, according to the Fifth National Climate Assessment. Pennsylvania experiences frequent flooding, with nearly 5,000 flood events recorded since 1996, according to the state’s 2023 State Hazard Mitigation Plan. Major cities like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh are particularly vulnerable because they are located near rivers. Additionally, Pennsylvania can be affected by remnants of hurricanes and tropical storms, even though it is not a coastal state. These changes mean that levees built decades ago may no longer provide the same level of protection they once did.

Most of Pennsylvania’s levees are now between 50 and 70 years old, which is beyond their typical 50-year design life. After construction, responsibility for managing and maintaining these levees was transferred to local communities, with over 90% now operated by local sponsors. This shift has created challenges, especially for rural areas with aging populations, shrinking tax bases, and labor shortages. Maintaining levees requires ongoing work such as managing vegetation, controlling erosion, removing debris, and repairing animal burrows. These tasks are costly and become more expensive over time due to inflation. Without sufficient funding, many communities struggle to keep their levees in good condition, increasing the risk of failure during floods.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) regularly updates floodplain maps to reflect current flood risks. If a levee does not meet FEMA’s minimum design, operations, and maintenance requirements, areas behind it may be considered unprotected against a 1% annual chance flood. This can lead to higher flood insurance premiums and development restrictions for property owners. Currently, only around 15% of Pennsylvania’s levees are accredited by FEMA. To achieve accreditation, communities must hire engineers to certify their levees meet standards. If upgrades are needed, such as raising levee height, communities must find funding to cover the costs, which can be time-consuming and expensive.

Funding for levee maintenance and upgrades in Pennsylvania is limited and comes from multiple sources. Local taxes, fees, and grants are often used, but dedicated funding streams are rare. For example, the Luzerne County Flood Protection Authority collects a levee fee to support maintenance, yet still relies on grants for large projects. State programs like the Pennsylvania Flood Mitigation Program offer grants up to $500,000 but require communities to match 15% of the project costs. Federal programs, such as FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC), previously provided additional funding, but this program was terminated in April 2025, canceling around $182.5 million in grants for Pennsylvania, including two levee projects. The program was reinstated in March 2026, but its future funding remains uncertain.