The areas of Ryther and Cawood, near Selby, are set to benefit from new flood defences, with the Environment Agency due to begin a £750,000 improvement scheme this summer.
It is thought the initiative will boost flood protection for around 450 homes. Existing defence walls will be removed and strengthened using ten-metre sheet piles.
Environment Agency protection manager Adrian Millward commented: "The defences at Ryther and Cawood are quite old, so when our inspections showed that they needed repairs we started to investigate ways of strengthening them without causing major disruption to residents."
The work, which is expected to take around two months to complete, will offer protection for decades to come, Mr Millward added.
Sites will be landscaped and have trees planted on them once the scheme has been completed.
Meanwhile, the Environment Agency is currently investigating ways to alleviate flooding in the Morpeth area.
Residents were recently invited to put their views forward at a local meeting.
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