Coastal harsh weather events have a tremendous impact on communities, businesses, human life, and the built environment. Communities based in coastal environments are particularly prone to certain types of hazards, which have direct impacts on specific building components. Below is a snapshot of some of the typical coastal climate hazards and impacts.
| Hazards | Impacts |
| Corrosion | Construction Methods |
| Humidity/Moisture | Material Selection |
| Extreme Rain/Storms | Material Availability |
| Storm Surge/Flooding | Maintenance Considerations |
| Wind | Budget |
Often, harsh weather conditions aren’t only impacting physical structures and materials. There are “invisible” or intangible impacts, such as maintenance considerations, budget, displacement, and downtime expenses, which aren’t top of mind. Yet, all these impacts should be considered proactively during design and renovation projects, as well as in recovery post-disaster.
When designing structures in coastal areas, it’s important to know the history of harsh weather impacts in that specific region, as well as consider the future natural forces and impacts that could occur. Coastal climates in the US Gulf Coast for example experience very different impacts from coastal climates in the Pacific. Likewise, understanding and designing for the events of yesterday may not be enough to counter the impacts from the coastal storms of tomorrow.