Stronger storms and higher tides put our coastal communities at risk, from the inconveniences of sunny day flooding to the devastating loss of lives and homes from hurricanes. Irresponsible development makes it worse, diverting floodwater into neighborhoods that never used to flood and placing new construction in vulnerable areas. But not everyone suffers the same. Too often, communities whose voices are excluded from or ignored in the planning process bear the brunt of bad decisions.

Fewer wetlands, more flooding

An acre of wetlands holds 330,000 gallons of water, so when developers destroy wetlands, neighborhoods lose flood protection and homes are more likely to be damaged. In the flood-prone Church Creek watershed outside Charleston, developers filled nearly a quarter of the wetlands in a 15-year building boom ending in 2010. They are still building in the watershed today.

Disaster relief and response is inequitable

Generations of race-based zoning and government indifference have caused many communities to suffer as governments have distributed disaster aid unevenly and unfairly. In some communities, neighbors can’t afford to move or can’t use relocation funding, leaving them trapped in a cycle of flooding, repairs, and more flooding.

More water. More often.

Sea level is rising faster than many floodplain maps are updated. Communities just outside floodplains are in more danger than they realize, and may be lulled into a false sense of security. That risk, coupled with increasingly severe summer storms, is exposing more homes to flooding and costly damage.

New construction, roads, and infrastructure in flood-prone areas put people at risk and waste public funds, trapping us in a costly cycle of flooding, repair, and more flooding. Smarter development solutions and commonsense decisions will make the difference in protecting coastal communities and places.

Seawalls aren’t the solution

Because of rising seas and persistent erosion, the ocean is creeping closer to beachfront homes. A common reaction is to protect property with seawalls and rock structures, known as groins. But that kind of beach armoring unfairly prevents sand from reaching neighboring properties. Coastal management must prioritize smart and equitable adaptation.

A “groin” is a low rock structure that extends into the ocean, like a jetty. It is designed to trap sand to make a bigger beach on one side of the structure. But on the other side, it leads to scouring erosion that often devastates the beach.

The beach at Sea Island, Georgia, was wide and inviting in the late 1980s. But after a series of groins were built, the sand nearly vanished from the groins’ south sides. Groins are often built to benefit wealthy oceanfront homeowners at the expense of nearby properties and the coastal environment.

Nature-based solutions

Using or enhancing natural features to control flooding is better for the coastal environment than a reliance on concrete. Tidal marshes, oyster reefs, and floodplains protect communities and resist erosion, while seawalls, jetties, and groins can accelerate erosion.

Homes in danger of flooding

Building in flood-prone areas is a bad idea, but it is often homebuyers left to bear that risk, not the developers who move on to other projects. Flood-damage claims have put the National Flood Insurance Program $20 billion in debt. Better planning and zoning can protect floodplains from development and keep these problems from getting worse.