A Dataset of Levee Overtopping Incidents

The most common mode of levee failure, breach due to overtopping, is generally considered as a function of a complex set of hydraulic and geotechnical factors. The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) actively tracks and compiles data related to such events across the United States within their portfolio of levee systems. Recent experience suggests that frequency of flood events is increasing, leading to both increased stress on levees, as well as the probability of overtopping. As such, data related to this failure mode is constantly evolving. This paper presents and discusses a dataset of more than 200 overtopping events of USACE levee systems throughout the nation. The dataset is employed to examine the effects of various factors and to establish correlations among parameters using both breach and nonbreach events. Generating a discussion based on empirical evidence, this research is aimed at furthering the profession’s collective understanding of levee behavior when overtopping occurs. The dataset can provide a valuable basis for planning, design, and risk assessment of levees systems.