U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Begins Post-Sandy Study of North Atlantic Coast

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced that the corps’ scientists and engineers launched a collaborative study on Tuesday to determine how best to reduce flood and storm damage risks for people and communities along the North Atlantic coast.

The new study was mandated by Congress as part of the federal Disaster Relief Appropriation Act of 2013.

The Act authorizes up to $20 million to “… address the flood risks of vulnerable coastal populations in the areas that were affected by Hurricane Sandy within the boundaries of the North Atlantic Division of the [U.S. Army] Corps [of Engineers],” and requires completion of the study by January 2015.

While compiling the study, officially known as the North Atlantic Coast Comprehensive Study, scientists and engineers will consider future sea-level rise scenarios and integrate economic, climatological, engineering, environmental and societal data from Virginia to Maine to develop a comprehensive framework to reduce coastal flood risk and promote resiliency, said Joseph Vietri, director of the National Planning Center of Expertise for Coastal Storm Risk Management, who is leading the effort for the Corps.

According to Vietri, the study will be collaborative, comprehensive and integrated, and conducted in partnership with federal and local government representatives as well as non-government organizations, academia, technical experts and interested parties.

Source: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

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