Levees play a vital role in protecting communities from flood hazards, particularly in flood-prone areas such as the Susquehanna River Basin (SRB). However, many levees in this region are aging, and with the increasing frequency and intensity of storms driven by climate change, these communities face heightened flood risks. This project had two primary objectives: first, to create a comprehensive levee database for the SRB, and second, to conduct a case study on the Forty Fort, PA Levee, chosen for its history of severe flood events, to assess the long-term impact on the surrounding community. The SRB database was developed by gathering key information from multiple sources, including levee age, recent construction history, height, and geological data. The data was compiled into an ArcGIS geodatabase to support future geotechnical stability analyses of levees throughout the SRB. A literature review, primarily based on local newspaper archives, identified significant flooding events, evaluated the condition of the Forty Fort levee during these events, and analyzed the resulting flood damage and associated costs. A notable finding was the frequent occurrence of presidential visits following major flood events, underscoring the severe impact on the community. This historical analysis, combined with the geodatabase, highlights the urgent need for a better understanding of levee vulnerabilities in the face of climate change, ultimately helping communities better prepare for and mitigate future flood risks.
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