The December 2004 tsunami, Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma, the earthquake in Pakistan—this has been a year filled with reports about natural disasters. With evidence on the evening news of our planet and country’s vulnerability, it may be a good time for coastal resource managers to examine their roles in planning for, responding to, and mitigating Mother Nature’s fury.
This special hazards-themed edition of Coastal Services takes a look at what a few coastal resource managers around the country are doing to address flooding, cyclonic and anti-cyclonic storms, earthquakes, and coastal erosion.
In our cover story, we examine a Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruling that affirmed the authority of a local government to bar residential construction in a flood-prone area and determined that the community did not have to compensate the property’s owner.
Our writers check into No Adverse Impact (NAI), a national policy initiative of the Association of State Floodplain Managers that calls for development and planning practices that protect the resiliency of floodplains as natural hazards buffers. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is working with the association to develop a coastal version of NAI that will be delivered in both English and Spanish.
In this edition, we learn how coastal managers in Hawaii are working with that state’s scientists and emergency managers to help translate data and models showing the likelihood and impacts of seismic events into useful tools for local decision makers and planners.
An Oregon DVD video is featured that gives prospective coastal property buyers and builders a “reality check” on the unique risks that come with developing along the shoreline.
We also look at how the South Carolina Sea Grant Extension Program took a dilapidated house in historic downtown Charleston and turned it into an award-winning model to help teach homeowners and contractors how to retrofit area homes to be more resistant to wind, flood, and earthquake.
These are just a few ways that coastal resource managers’ unique skills and data can help prepare our country for the next big storm. We hope you find these stories informative and inspiring.As always, we hope it is helpful to learn about some of the challenges and successes of your colleagues around the country. We hope you find the articles in this edition of Coastal Services interesting and useful.
-- Margaret A. Davidson
