BUILDING CLIMATE RESILIENCE: North Atlantic Coast Comprehensive Study

By Mr. Justin Matthew Ward (USACE)March 5, 2015

Coastal Storm Risk Management Strategies
1 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Managing coastal storm risk is a shared responsibility by all levels of government and individual property owners. Not all strategies to reduce risks are engineered solutions. Communities should consider adopting a combination of strategies that emph... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Hurricane Sandy impacted coastal areas
2 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
North Atlantic Coast Comprehensive Study Final Report
3 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released to the public a report detailing the results of a two-year study to address coastal storm and flood risk to vulnerable populations, property, ecosystems, and infrastructure in the North Atlantic region of the... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
North Atlantic Coast Comprehensive Study logo
4 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – On January 29, 2013, President Obama signed into law the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, of 2013 (Public Law 113-2), to assist in the recovery in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. As part of the law, the Congress tasked the Corps to work with a v... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

BROOKLYN, NY -- A recently released U.S. Army Corps of Engineers report concludes that the risk of coastal flooding is increasing in the Northeast because of rising sea levels and changing climate, and that without improvements to our current planning and development patterns along the coast, the impact of the next large hurricane to strike the Northeast could be equal to or worse than Sandy.

These results are part of the North Atlantic Coast Comprehensive Study, a two-year effort by the Corps and its Federal, state, local, and non-governmental partners, to assess the flood risks facing coastal communities and ecosystems and collaboratively develop a coastal storm risk management framework to address increasing risks, which are driven in part by increased frequency and intensity of storm events and rising sea levels due to a changing climate.

"It's our collective responsibility to use the latest sea-level change and climate change information on our current planning studies in design and implementation," said Amy Guise, the chief of planning and policy at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Baltimore District. "These are actions we can take now that will help sustain our investments into the future."

The study results include shared tools that decision makers can use to assess coastal flood risks and identify solutions, including a nine-step Coastal Storm Risk Management Framework that can be used by communities, states, tribes, and the Federal government to help identify coastal risk and develop strategies for reducing those risks.

"Communities should consider adopting a combination of strategies [to reduce risk]," said Guise. "But it's important to note that no matter what risk-reduction strategies are taken, there is always residual risk. And it's important for everyone to know what that risk is."

According to the study, coastal communities face tough choices as they prepare for changing conditions while striving to preserve community values and economic vitality. But through the use of this framework and through responsible planning and development patterns along the coast, communities can start taking action now to reduce the risk of damage from future coastal storms.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers strives to provide quality and responsive services to the Nation in a manner that is environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable, and that focuses on public safety and collaborative partnerships.

Related Links:

USACE News

USACE North Atlantic Division

USACE NACCS webpage

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers