A dike holding the Columbia River broke, causing a flood that destroyed Vanport, Oregon, U.S., only five years after the city was built.

A levee, is an elevated ridge alongside the banks of a river, often intended to protect against flooding of the area adjoining the river. Alternatively, it is called a dike, dyke, floodbank, or stop bank. It is a type of embankment. A levee, natural or artificial, is usually earthen and often runs parallel to the course of a river in its floodplain or along low-lying coastlines.