Nit-pick: not all dunes were created equal before Sandy, either. People are just paying more attention now.
Dune creation/nourishment always an interesting discussion. As infrastructure goes they're relatively cheap to create are somewhat self-maintaining. Meanwhile, they absorb much of the initial damage of coastal storm impacts and can protect vast areas of infrastructure, from roads to entire towns. However, dunes are more effective, and more self-sustaining, when they're given enough room to self-create and maintain themselves with a lot of spare beach, which means larger setbacks. The required setbacks in the Netherlands on barrier islands, for instance, are 500m or more, whereas setbacks in the US can be as small as 15 feet. The dunes I saw on Schiermonikoog were three or four deep, meaning there were several layers of defense if the first line of dunes were to be destroyed in a storm. Villages are still protected while the dunes rebuild.
Part of any coastal resiliency plan should include what areas are precious enough to merit hard and soft infrastructure protection, and which areas should be given over to nature. Removing a few blocks of houses and declaring it protected beachfront is more feasible in some areas than others, based on the cost of the houses, their condition, etc. If the local, state or federal governments can triage the coastline quickly enough, they may be able to make decent offers on damaged homes and allow those beachfront residents to relocate and save a lot of other homes in the process.
From what I understand, though, the beachfront properties in some of the hardest-hit areas on the Shore are different than a lot of more resort / vacation rental / second home situations in the rest of the country, which adds a whole other dimension. Some of these homes were passed down through generations and are now the primary or sole residence for middle or low-income families and seniors, so demolition/relocation runs headlong into tradition, socio-economic disparity and cultural impacts that have to be handled much more delicately. These houses might be 'cheaper' in the economic sense but not in the emotional one.
After Sandy, Not All Sand Dunes Are Created Equal : NPR:
'via Blog this'
