A flood barrier is a structure designed to prevent flooding from occurring. The two most common types of flood barriers are levees and dikes. A LEVEE is an embankment built along the banks of a river or other body of water to prevent flooding. A DIKE is a wall or embankment built to protect an area from flooding. Both levees and dikes are used to protect areas from flooding, but they are constructed differently. Levees are typically made of earth and are built up along the banks of a river or other body of water, while dikes are usually made of concrete or stone and are built across the width of a river or other body of water.