Engineering

A river story with crossover to the coastal universe.

This is what's being done to protect communities from flooding

On the night of Jan. 4, 2018 as 30 km/h winds swept the surface of the Halifax Harbour, Jamie Rouse and his son-in-law were standing on the Fisherman’s Cove boardwalk just outside of Rouse’s seafood restaurant, Boondocks, warily watching the rising waters.

Coastal restoration presents a “massive opportunity” for economic development in Louisiana, but the state is not yet positioned to take full advantage, a government committee heard Wednesday.

CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Vanishing coastlines. Damaged lighthouses. Unexpected storm surges. Washed-out roads.

WAIKIKI, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - Crews have started working on a new fix for an erosion hotspot in Waikiki.

Commissioners agree on ballot language of no more than $34.5 million, though final OK pending in December.

Contractors race the clock to finish the project in time

We’ve made little progress in preparing our communities and vital ecosystems for storms and sea-level rise, but there are tools we can use if government agencies and nonprofits take action.

The latest stage of coastal management work at Quinns Beach includes a $2.1 million upgrade and extension of groyne three and refilling beach sand.

Apartments and walkable urbanism are finding more favor in the Texan metro

New research show rising seas will have worse impact than previously known, with most of Grand Bahama, Abaco and Spanish Wells projected to be under flood levels by 2050 because of climate change.

Oligochaete worms can substantially speed up the reuse of both dredged sediment and contaminated mine tailings. Researchers from Deltares, with the support from the University of Alberta, Queen Mary University of London and NAIT (polytechnic and applied research institute) have determined this in laboratory tests. In the Netherlands, this nature-based technology is promising for the circular reuse of dredged material, while in Canada the mining industry is interested particularly for mine sites closure.

The heavy construction equipment had been removed, so Kellyx Nelson walked out on a breezy bluff to take stock of the stunning panorama of newly channeled waterways and marsh that she helped design near Pescadero State Beach.

RICHMOND, Va. – As Gov. Ralph Northam puts together his budget proposal for the 2020 General Assembly session, groups are urging him to provide money for the Virginia Shoreline Resiliency Fund.

The restoration of the beach at Ramsgate Baths is proving to be not only a civic engineering success but is also generating great interest for spectators.

CAMBRIDGE — An island in Somerset County, just south of Dorchester, has been restored in large part by the Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), using dredge material. Once in danger of being washed away, the island now has restored land and habitat.

Unfortunately, the state is using the same old technology that destroyed the beach in the first place.

Louisiana residents should be proud of how determined state and federal officials are in trying to secure more money to protect the already-damaged coastline.

Maryland Department of Natural Resources Initiative Boosts Restoration and Resilience

Crews transported and distributed sand along the beach near Park Shore Beach Park in Naples on Friday, November 1, as part of Collier County's multi-million dollar beach renourishment project.

New Approaches, Big Money Put Toward Keeping Streets Dry

Dozens of retired scientists and environmental groups say key recommendations of South Carolina’s statewide flooding task force are misguided and that scientific data don’t support them.

Project hails the shellfish reefs as nature’s solution to coastline impact of climate change Conservationists say the oysters act as a barrier to slow storm surges and protect communities from rising sea levels

Between ice age dynamics and global heating, Halifax Harbour is rising faster than most coastal waters around the world and putting billions worth of buildings at risk.

Each time we face another hurricane, tornado or strong storm, it’s hard not to wonder how it will impact our communities. What will happen to our roads, bridges, levees, airports, homes power plants—or other piece of transportation infrastructure.

On the seventh anniversary of Superstorm Sandy, New Jersey's governor committed the state to a far-reaching plan to deal with climate change and protect itself from future storms.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has developed a new conservation tool to identify opportunities for the beneficial use of clean dredged sediments. Beneficial Use – Identifying Locations for Dredge (BUILD) is a mapping tool that will support the state’s Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts, protect infrastructure and investment, and enhance coastal resiliency.

Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico. For months, parts of the island continued without power and clean drinking water. Thousands left the island for the mainland while others continued to live in precarious conditions.

Hurricane Sandy slammed into Brooklyn in 2012. It caused 43 deaths and $19 billion in widespread devastation. Seven years later, the effects of the storm still linger. Though much work was done and promises were made, some weren’t kept and some weren’t enough.

As the region marks the seventh anniversary of Superstorm Sandy, debate is surging over proposals to build massive concrete and steel sea gates at the mouths of major Long Island waterways to mitigate future hurricane flooding.

It's been seven years since Hurricane Sandy ransacked the East Coast. And, while bigger storms — with even more devastating impacts — have certainly come along, Sandy was unique because it helped start a movement toward resilience and nature-based solutions.What does this mean?

The Manhattan neighborhood is the borough’s most vulnerable to flooding

For years, Louisiana was the only state in the country to have a master plan for dealing with coastal land loss. Now other states, like Texas, are following suit. Louisiana´s motivation is clear: The state loses approximately a football-field’s worth of land every hour. Louisiana´s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority estimates that, left unattended, the loss of the state’s wetlands will worsen the annual cost of flood damage from an average of $2.7 billion to approximately $19.9 billion. Yet in the face of such dire predictions, some see an opportunity for southern Louisiana to position itself as a leader in water management and to reap the economic benefits of not only addressing the state´s issues, but of selling that expertise to others.

What once was a source of relaxation has become increasingly stressful for homeowners along the Lake Michigan shoreline.

7 Questions to the New Director General of the French Hydrographic Office

City plans to begin work on five more projects in the coming months

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- New York City isn’t prepared for its next major storm seven years after Superstorm Sandy ravaged the five boroughs, Comptroller Scott Stringer told the Advance.

Imagine this. After discovering your house is infested with termites, the contractor gives you two paths forward: Sell the thing for whatever you can get and begin looking for a new home in a new place. Or begin expensive repairs and treatment that only guarantees a termite-free life for 30 years — but during that time researchers will continue working toward a permanent solution.

LONG BRANCH, N.J. (AP) - New sand is on its way to some New Jersey beaches that were rebuilt after Superstorm Sandy but have eroded since then.

BERKELEY, Calif. - It's easy to see why millions of people flock to the beach every year.

Cornwall is one of the counties in the UK which is likely to be the most affected by climate change. As temperatures are increasing, ice is melting and the sea levels are rising.

The federal government faces a dilemma over how to prepare the American coast for the rising seas and supercharged storms of a warming climate. These twin threats cost the government billions in disaster aid, while endangering communities, critical infrastructure and priceless ecosystems.

After a wait of several years, the town has received permission from the US Army Corps of Engineers to “borrow” much-needed sand from Scusset Beach.

It's been seven years since Superstorm Sandy brought the city that never sleeps to a grinding halt. High tide and storm surge—the pile of water that built up in front of Sandy as she moved up the coast—combined to bury lower Manhattan under 13 feet of water.

Pen in hand, Pawleys Island Mayor Jimmy Braswell paused for a moment Monday afternoon, Oct. 14 and said, “I’ve never borrowed so much money in my life.”

The state’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority will lead a delegation of representatives from four gulf coast states to Washington D.C. this week, where they will lobby for a greater share of revenues generated by offshore drilling activity in the Gulf of Mexico.

FERRYSBURG, MI -- Tom Cotter and his wife, Mary Carole, moved into their dream home on the Lake Michigan shoreline about a week ago.

Seven years ago this month, Hurricane Sandy pummeled the East Coast of the United States, killing more than 150 people and causing about $70 billion in damage to homes, businesses and infrastructure.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Months after President Donald Trump reversed course on plans to eviscerate the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday released a five-year plan to protect and restore its ecosystem.

REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. (AP) — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will be pumping sand along the north end of Delaware's Rehoboth Beach.

Danish ‘national treasure’ will be transported to safety at speed of 26 feet per hour

Yesterday Delaware officials broke ground for the $25 million construction of the long-awaited South Wilmington Wetlands Park. The 20-acre wetlands project will create a stormwater management facility that will help to reduce flooding, restore and enhance existing wetlands, and create a new open recreational space for the Southbridge community and all citizens to enjoy.

To its credit, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is open about some of the problems that accompany plans to fortify the upper Texas Gulf Coast with new sand dunes. But with no silver bullet out there, the dunes remain the least-bad option until something better comes along.

A scheme to improve coastal defences in Elmer and better protect 325 properties from flooding and erosion is underway.

Replacing the buildings around New Zealand waiting to be lost to rising seas could exceed $19 billion, reports say.

The beach nourishment operations at Hayling Island are set to begin today with the dredger expected to arrive at the dredge site, Chichester Harbor Approach Channel, at approximately midday, Eastern Solent Coastal Partnership – ESCP reports.

The nor’easter that churned off the East Coast last week showed just how vulnerable Delaware’s beaches can be, as several coastal communities faced flooding conditions as ocean waters breached sand dunes.

Two new pools of money are drawing considerable interest from communities and groups hoping to protect Rhode Island from the climate crisis.

The three project areas stretch from near the Jupiter Inlet south into Juno Beach. The first renourishment project will center on a strip of beach between Jupiter Beach Park and Carlin Park and is expected to start by year’s end.

Two projects planned by the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority will have a multibillion-dollar economic impact on southeast Louisiana, according to a report presented to the CPRA board Wednesday.

Sea levels are expected to rise due to climate change

Signs of climate change are all around us. Ice caps are melting, sea levels are rising, and extreme heat and other weather-related events are happening more frequently. A rising chorus of experts say getting ready for climate change catastrophes should include updating the infrastructure that helps keep cities and towns running across the globe. And we should be doing it right now.

NYC will remake the East River waterfront to fight climate change. It may not be enough

The infield is made of asphalt right now. So are the dugouts, the outfield and the stands. Someday this might be home to a baseball stadium, but today the Howard Terminal is little more than a parking lot for 16-wheelers, populated by far more sea gulls than baseball fans.

"There would have been a breach if not for the county's swift actions."

Beach replenishment may be necessary to protect coastal areas now, but it is not sustainable in the long run because sea level rise is accelerating

Alarmed by Oceanside’s shrinking beaches, a group of residents succeeded this week in getting the city to consider taking on the federal government’s oversight of a local sand replenishment project. The City Council unanimously approved a motion Wednesday by Mayor Peter Weiss to have staffers prepare a capital budget amendment to cover the anticipated costs of a sand-retention project. Details will be presented at an upcoming council meeting.

The state of Oregon is pushing the community hospitals along the Oregon Coast to improve their earthquake resilience. This comes after a state report predicted none of them would be able to sustain operations after the feared Big One -- a magnitude 9 offshore Cascadia earthquake and tsunami.

The Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation plans to release it’s Coastal Action Plan by mid-December.

Nearly a decade before the “Ike Dike” became accepted jargon for coastal residents of southeast Texas, there were geotubes.

They are making sandcastles with excavators at Ramsgate Beach. Summer is coming, but Botany Bay has swallowed the beach whole and waves are lapping at the sea wall.

Putting sand on the beach. That’s finally beginning as Marinex Construction Co. of North Charleston “stages” its dredge, two miles of pipe and other equipment at Pawleys Island.

Florida lawmakers Monday dug into issues involving climate change and greenhouse gas emissions, phrases mostly kept under wraps by state Republican leaders before last year’s elections.

The project will cost $5.2 million and will be finished by the start of next year, according to the county.

RALEIGH - Coastal communities are no strangers to the heavy winds and the massive storm surges hurricanes bring. Hurricane Dorian was no different when it hammered North Carolina's barrier islands at the start of September.