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- Permanent Link:
- http://dpanther.fiu.edu/dpService/dpPurlService/purl/FI15060923/00001
Notes
- Summary:
- Hurricane- and coastal-storm-related economic losses have increased substantially over
the past century, largely due to expanding population and development in the most susceptible
coastal areas. Eight U.S. cities (Miami, the New York-Newark region, New Orleans, Tampa-St.
Petersburg, Boston, Philadelphia, Virginia Beach, and Baltimore) rank among the world’s top 20
in terms of estimated potential average annual losses from coastal flooding. Hurricanes Sandy
(2012) and Katrina (2005) recently raised awareness of this vulnerability. Climate change poses
additional threats to coastal communities. Climate projections suggest possible increases in the
strength and frequency of the most intense hurricanes, and sea-level rise will increase the
likelihood of major flood events.
Concurrent with the growth in economic losses from natural hazard, there has also been a
substantial shift in the source of funds used to cover these losses in the United States. Over the
past 60 years, the federal government has assumed an increasing proportion of the financial
responsibility associated with coastal storms. This trend highlights the challenges ahead,
particularly if federal post-disaster relief discourages state and local governments from taking
appropriate actions to reduce risk and enhance resilience.
A wide array of strategies exists for managing coastal storm risks. One set of strategies
aims to reduce the probability of flooding or wave impact. These include hard structures, such as
seawalls, levees, flood walls, and storm surge barriers, and nature-based risk reduction strategies,
such as beach nourishment, dune building, and restoration or expansion of natural areas, such as
oyster reefs, salt marshes, and mangroves. Another set of strategies aims to reduce the number
of people or structures in areas at risk or to make them less vulnerable to coastal storms. These
include design strategies, such as elevating or floodproofing buildings and “nonstructural
strategies” such as relocation and land-use planning to steer future development or
redevelopment away from high hazard areas. Over the past century, most coastal risk
management programs have emphasized coastal armoring, while doing little to decrease
development in harm’s way.
This study was undertaken as
part of a broad five-year effort to
provide advice to the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers (USACE) on a range of
scientific, engineering, and water
resources planning issues. It examines
risk reduction strategies to address coastal storms (hurricanes, tropical storms, and extratropical storms) and associated storm
surges, focusing on the East and Gulf Coasts where large coastal storms predominantly occur,
and the report outlines principles to guide future U.S. investments in such strategies (see Box S-1
for the statement of task). Other coastal hazards, such as erosion from mild or moderate storms,
wind damage, or tsunami-induced flooding, are not considered in depth.
This report calls for the development of a national vision for managing risks from coastal
storms (hereafter, termed “coastal risk”) that includes a long-term view, regional solutions, and
recognition of the full array of economic, social, environmental, and life-safety benefits that
come from risk reduction efforts. To support this vision, a national coastal risk assessment is
needed to identify those areas with the greatest risks that are high priorities for risk reduction
efforts. Benefit-cost analysis, constrained by other important environmental, social, and lifesafety
factors, provides a reasonable framework for evaluating national investments in coastal
risk reduction. However, extensive collaboration and additional policy changes will be
necessary to fully embrace this vision and move from a nation that is primarily reactive to coastal
disasters to one that invests wisely in coastal risk reduction and builds resilience among coastal
communities.
Record Information
- Source Institution:
- Florida International University
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