the US Army Corps of Engineers will hand over control of much of the city’s ~$13B levee system next summer. But with ownership/control comes responsibility, at the tune of an estimated $38M a year. Few are arguing that the city’s protective system is bad, but it’s unclear if or how the city will be able […]
Tag Archives | adaptation & mitigation
How Would the Dutch Fix Our Flood Problems?
Posted on November 15, 2012
. . . not surprisingly, with less focus on recovery and more on preparation. The Dutch “way of thinking is completely different from the U.S.,” where disaster relief generally takes precedence over disaster avoidance, said Wim Kuijken, the Dutch government’s senior official for overall water control policy. “The U.S. is excellent at disaster management,” but […]
Would You Buy on the Waterfront?
Posted on November 8, 2012
The New York Times takes a look. Their conclusion? “Although real estate experts say property values are unlikely to suffer in the long term, it is possible that new zoning and planning regulations — and buyers’ expectations — could reshape how residential housing along the water is built, marketed and sold.” If by “property values” […]
Is Beach Nourishment a Longterm Solution for Reducing Storm Damage?
Posted on November 6, 2012
The New York Times explores the question from a mostly New Jersey angle. Unsurprisingly, there’s not a clear answer. “Costs of Shoring Up Coastal Communties“
Connecticut Officially Discourages Shore Armoring but is Required to Offer Alternatives
Posted on October 1, 2012
Connecticut’s new coastal management law officially discourages the use of sea walls and other structural answers to erosion, but with an interesting twist: if the state or local government denies a permit, they have to propose an alternative. It will be fascinating to see how this plays out (today is its first day). Read the […]
Florida County Incorporates Climate Change in their Comprehensive Plan
Posted on September 17, 2012
Last week, Broward County’s commissioners voted to incorporate climate change into their comp plan despite substantial pushback. Read the article for how the battle was won.
“What does it feel like to have your home flooded?”
Posted on August 22, 2012
Somebody on Quora.com asked “What does it feel like to have your home flooded?” The most popular response came in from a survivor from two floods in Queensland, Australia. The whole thing is worth reading, but following are a couple of sections that jumped out. The first is about how expectations affect behavior: Prior to […]
NOAA’s Coastal and Waterfront Smart Growth Site Updated with More Examples
Posted on August 7, 2012
Been a while since you checked out NOAA’s Coastal and Waterfront Smart Growth site? They’ve updated it with new case studies: see what’s updated via their Getting Started page.
New Tool to Easily View Future Sea Levels
Posted on July 16, 2012
The United State Army Corps of Engineers has released a handy tool for calculating future sea levels based on models or rates that you pick. The process couldn’t be easier. Head over to their Comprehensive Evaluation of Projects with Respect to Sea-Level Change page. Either enter the rates you’d like to use, or select from […]
Mid to North Atlantic SLR “like a car on a highway jamming on the accelerator”
Posted on July 2, 2012
A new article finds that sea level rise is happening faster, and sometimes far faster, in the middle to northern stretches of the US Atlantic Coast than in the ocean basin as a whole. How much faster? The currently accelerated rate could add nearly an extra foot of sea level rise by the end of […]