Summary - Selection 11

Will Hurricane Katrina Impact Shoreline Management? by Orrin H. Pikley and Robert S. Young

The major point that Pikley and Young are making in this article is that we need to think about what's best for the people and the environment long term. Places like New Orleans or Dauphin Island have become easily destructible regardless of the natural disaster. Dauphin Island has been continuously rebuilt after bridges were ruined, boat houses displaces, and homes obliterated. A lot of time, money, energy, and resources have gone into rebuilding these coastal areas, but at what point do we realize that it may be a lost cause?

With the coastal cottage/home boom, the coastal areas have become popular to build on. Are what is being built enough to withstand wind AND waves? Also, ocean front development is severely damaging the beaches, and according to Pikley and Young, without these developments the beaches can replenish themselves. Included in the task of "storm proofing" homes and cottages there needs to be a beach replenishment storm defense. Building on ocean front properties is not a good idea because a reconstructed beach is not stable and safe, there is NO protection from larges storms, the environmental impact of pumping sand on a beach kills many organisms, which impacts shore birds and fish. Taxes also are raised, even for people not in the coastal area.

Pikley and Young believe it's time to move away from coastal development. Global warming = warmer waters = more powerful storms of greater duration. The problem (which isn't really a "problem" per se) is that people and communities maintain a very strong will to rebuild and persevere. High risk areas are going to need to be dropped from insurance agencies, leaving them to self-insure with their own developments.

They also stress a need to develop a national policy for future disasters, and make it a matter of personal responsibility. No matter what, a severe enough storm can break through barriers and overtake protected areas. Pikley and Young believe that efforts by coastal scientists need to amped up. They need stronger, direct pressure on individual local projects to counter beach front lobby, participation in public hearings, speeches, environmental impact statements, etc, for public comment, have more engagement in responsibility, and re-think National coastal policy from Hurricane Katrina impact.