Sandy ocean beaches in the United States are popular tourist and recreational destinations and constitute some of the most valuable real estate in the country. The boundary between land and water along the coastline is often the location of concentrated residential and commercial development and is frequently exposed to a range of natural hazards, which include flooding, storm effects, and coastal erosion. In response, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is conducting a national assessment of coastal change hazards. One component of this research effort, the National Assessment of Shoreline Change Project (http://coastal.er.usgs.gov/shoreline-change/), documents changes in shoreline position as a proxy for coastal...
During Hurricane Irma in September 2017, Florida and Georgia experienced significant impacts to beaches, dunes, barrier islands, and coral reefs. Extensive erosion and coral losses result in increased immediate and long-term hazards to shorelines that include densely populated regions. These hazards put critical infrastructure at risk to future flooding and erosion and may cause economic losses. The USGS Coastal and Marine Hazards Resources Program (CMHRP) is assessing hurricane-induced coastal erosion along the southeast US coastline and implications for vulnerability to future storms. Shoreline positions were compiled prior to and following Hurricane Irma along the sandy shorelines of the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic...
