Preparing for the Impact of Coastal Storms: A Coastal Manager-Oriented Approach

The impact of coastal storms induces a series of potentially harmful hazards, such as coastal erosion and inundation. Among the different conceptual and methodological approaches to characterize coastal storm-induced vulnerability is an approach developed by the Unites States Geological Survey (USGS) for estimating the relative magnitudes of coastal change that are likely to occur during hurricanes along the US coast. Assessment of coastal vulnerability enables the quantification of the difference between the impact, which is characterized by the intensity of storm-induced hazards, and the adaptive capacity of the coastal environment to cope with such hazards. This chapter addresses the impact of storms on the coast from the coastal manager's standpoint. It presents two ways to anticipate the impact of coastal storms. The first one consists of a Coastal Vulnerability Assessment Framework to be applied at a regional scale (~100 km), whereas the second one consists of an Early Warning System to be applied locally.