Managed Retreat from Floodzones & Coast management policies in US
September 11, 2019 2:06 PM

We are looking for examples of buy-outs, and related Coast management policies e.g. disallowing new building in 100 year floodzones, disallowing modifications or reconstruction in 100 year floodzones, buyouts, infrastructure maintenance. Land converted to use as parkland, etc
posted by ebesan to Science & Nature (12 answers total) 12 users marked this as a favorite
Google "non-structural flood control" and limit the search to site:.mil, and you'll get loads of info about the non-structural flood control programs overseen by the Corps of Engineers.
posted by ereshkigal45 at 2:23 PM on September 11, 2019


Oakwood Beach (and Ocean Breeze) in Staten Island were subject to buyouts after Hurricane Sandy. To the best of my knowledge most of the affected areas are basically being returned to "nature."
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 2:49 PM on September 11, 2019


From Metafilter's Own™ adamg: Why the Charles doesn't seem to flood as much as other rivers. Posted after a huge rainstorm, IIRC.
posted by Melismata at 3:09 PM on September 11, 2019


Harris County TX has a home buyout program that buys flooded properties and then turns them into open land. I have seen previously flood neighborhoods that have had most of their homes removed under this program.
posted by Midnight Skulker at 3:17 PM on September 11, 2019


Again re the NY coastal sites. There's a book called Rising, I did a fanfare on it and have a lot of notes, will post exact page numbers Saturday when I have time. The book has extensive notes on research routes and dead-ends.

Also I heard a rumour five years ago that China was forbidding new development below 10 metres above high tide, but I've never been able to confirm.
posted by unearthed at 3:56 PM on September 11, 2019


Here's a youtube video of a presentation at some conference by the floodplain programs manager for the Illinois DNR about Illinois floodplain management. Warning - this guy makes jokes that may not be Metafilter friendly.
posted by Blue Genie at 8:10 PM on September 11, 2019




120 to 125 Retreat Grant process Joseph Tyrone Real Estate Broker of Staten Island initiated Oakwood approach.

217 Many US local initiatives including First Peoples. Also 'Measure AA' in SF, 15000 acres, coastal wetland.

284 Case for Retreat. retreat Grants: "Typically HM GP (Hazard Mitigation Grant Program) grants are used to relocate rural riverine communities" Liz Koslov's excellent work on retreat has informed this chapter;

“The Case for Retreat," Public Culture 28, no. 2. (2016), https://doi.org/10.12.15/08992363-3427487
[url may not go - some odd characters to retype]
Also Koslov's forthcoming book, Retreat: Moving to Higher Ground in a Climate-Changed City. U Chicago Press.

I also have several papers, ppts and pdfs from a sea-level rise response conference on the US East cost from 2016. "Rising Tides Summit: Protecting the Future of America’s Coastlines"
These were sent to me when I contacted the group as part of organising a sea-level rise conference here in NZ:

Interviews with Rebuild by Design's Working Group
I have the full text of that if you are interested.

There's also a reference to a 6-acre retreat project in Northwest Hoboken in a paper from Mayor Dawn Zimmer of Hoboken at the time. DM me if you want the pdf.
posted by unearthed at 2:20 AM on September 12, 2019




The Isle de Jean Charles situation in Louisiana is a forced migration, if that fits your needs.
posted by CheeseLouise at 4:39 AM on September 12, 2019


Austin Texas is far from the coast but does have flooding problems. The city has been buying a neighborhood and destroying the houses in a particularly bad area.
posted by jclarkin at 11:17 AM on September 12, 2019


Canada, so not an answer to your question, but an interesting comparison for the difference in political possibility overlaid on pretty similar economic and engineering cases: Canada Tries a Forceful Message for Flood Victims
posted by clew at 12:55 PM on September 12, 2019


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