Coastal areas of the Atlantic and Gulf have experienced rapid growth within the past twenty-five years. This means that for many residents of these areas the scope of the damage possible from a catastrophic storms is not a reality. They have not experienced the effects of a nor'easter or hurricane which has caused extensive property damage and disruption of life-style in their community.

    With growing populations in coastal areas, local municipalities have come to understand that even with increased warning time before a storm strikes, evacuation can be a serious issue. How much time is needed to move the population to safety? Can the roads in the area support the projected traffic load? What emergency support is needed to ensure safety of the population should there not be sufficient warning time to make evacuation possible? What other crisis management plans need to be in place to deal with potential coastal hazards, such as if a tanker is grounded by a storm? Will fire, police and ambulance departments be able to function if a severe storm damages roads and utilities in the community?

    When considering these issues, should a community limit its population, curtail its growth, and err on the cautious side? Or is concern about these issues unfounded and not appropriate for a community to worry about in this day and age?

    Communities are looking at situations where "the policy challenge lies in striking the appropriate balance between coastal development and hazard mitigation, between economic growth and public safety" (Godschalk, 1989, p. 5)
 

    Natural disasters represent the intersection of two sets: nature and population. As the
population continues to grow, so does the area of intersection, leading to costlier and
deadlier disasters.

    To help communities analyze risk and prepare an action plan to deal with potential catastrophic hazards, FEMA has prepared FIRM maps which predict areas that would be flooded by different water-level rises. Upland areas can easily be flooded by rising water as shown in this illustration.

To help communities analyze risk and prepare an action plan to deal with potential catastrophic hazards, a natural hazard management model has been developed. .
(Godschalk, 1989, p. 18)  This model has four parts:

1. Mitigation - This section outlines long term actions that are to be taken to prevent, avoid or reduce the impact of a natural hazard to people and property.
2. Preparedness - This part of the plan deals with actions to be taken after a storm warning has been received, e.g., evacuation.
3. Response - This addresses the question of post-storm emergency aid for the affected population.
4. Recovery - This part of the plan deals with how to restore the community to normal after storm damage has been evaluated.

    Actions taken by communities and states varies depending on the local priorities. In some areas, housing and businesses that are centered in beach communities provide tax revenue that is needed by the larger community. It would be very difficult to limit construction in such localities, even if a natural hazard risk existed there. In other places, communities may have the discretion to build in more than one location and then choose to build where there is less probability of impact from a natural hazard.

    Community attitudes are influenced by several things, including how the local media expresses concern about potential risks. For example, if a storm is predicted to impact an area with extreme force, and by luck the wind turns and the storm goes elsewhere, the community may come to believe that there is not as much risk as "the alarmists" claim, and that mitigation actions are not needed. However, if a community has recently experienced the effects of a severe storm it is far more likely to create a hazard mitigation plan in order to be ready for the next big storm.

    Some actions that communities consider or include when preparing a mitigation action plan for coastal storm hazards include:

• Preservation of sand dunes and wetlands
• Retreat from the shore - permitting existing property that is at risk to be "reclaimed" by the sea, knowing that it can't be saved without expenditure beyond the property's worth
• Public purchase of land that is at risk, or purchase of development rights on the land

(Note: this is hard to do if the land is expensive or valuable. However, resale of the land for non-development or low impact use can return some of the outlay to the community treasury.)
• Differentiated tax rate for properties that are at risk - lower rates for non-developed land in risk prone areas
• Strengthening building structures to withstand the forces associated with strong storms, as well as flood proofing structures
• Set-back regulations which address how close a structure may be to the high tide line
• Limit construction, maintenance and repair of roads, sewers, power lines and telephone lines in areas that are at risk

    In a survey of 403 coastal communities conducted in 1984 by David Godschalk and his associates (Godschalk, 1989, pp. 206-234, appendix), the impediments that appear to stand in the way of implementing and enforcing a mitigation management plan are:

• insufficient funds
• conservative attitude towards government control of private property rights
• lack of support by local officials and other political interest groups
• lack of qualified personnel to implement and enforce the plan
• community belief that "it can't happen here"
• opposition of real estate and development interests
• extent of development of hazard prone area before a management plan is instituted

• median home value - higher value resulted in greater interest in protecting property
• proportion of local economy that is based on recreation and tourism (area needs to be perceived as safe in order for tourists to visit)
• availability of non-hazardous sites in the community that will meet the needs of the population
• recent storm history
• hurricane/storm possibility
• national flood insurance program availability in the area
• state involvement in development of the program

Conclusion:

    When all of the factors regarding catastrophic storms are considered, the complex issue of how to prepare for these storms becomes evident. A balance needs to be found between the geographic/meterologic realities of a community's location and the political/economic factors that allow the community to thrive. Storms will continue to happen. People will learn how to manage their coastlines in preparation for these occasional storms so that they can minimize the negative effects of these natural hazards.