Army identifies 146 inadequate levees

WASHINGTON, Jan. 29 (UPI) -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said 146 levees across the country are in danger of failing if faced with major floods.

The corps said the levees are at an unacceptable risk of failure, most commonly due to poor maintenance, USA Today reported Monday.

"The corps and (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) are saying, 'We've been lax as a nation in our operation and maintenance of these levees, and it's time to tighten up,'" said Larry Larson, director of the Association of State Floodplain Managers, an organization for officials who run flood-control systems. "You're talking about risking a lot of lives if one of these fails."

Property owners behind the levees could be forced to pay hundreds of dollars each year for flood insurance if they are not repaired and FEMA says they are no longer adequate flood controls.

Maj. Gen. Don Riley, the corps' director of civil works, said the organization is allowing a one-year grace period to repair the levees.

"We want communities to clearly understand the risks of not maintaining these levees and take responsibility," he said.