Storm Research Articles

Changes in Tropical Cyclones Undergoing Extratropical Transition in a Warming Climate: Quasi‐Idealized Numerical Experiments of North Atlantic Landfalling Events

AbstractThe current study extends earlier work that demonstrated future extratropical transition (ET) events will feature greater intensity and heavier precipitation to specifically consider potential changes in the impacts of landfalling ET events in a warming climate. A quasi‐idealized modeling framework allows comparison of highly similar present‐day and future event simulations; the model initial conditions are based on observational composites, increasing representativeness of the results. The future composite ET event features substantially more impactful weather conditions in coastal areas, with heavier precipitation and greater storm intensity. Specifically, a Category 2 present‐day storm attained Category 4 Saffir‐Simpson intensity in the future simulation and maintained greater intensity throughout the entire life cycle, although the storm undergoes less reintensification during the post‐ET process, a result of reduced baroclinic conversion. These findings suggest increased potential for coastal hazards due to stronger tropical cyclone winds and heavier rainfall, leading to more severe coastal flooding and storm surge.

Inclement Weather and Risk of Missing Scheduled Hemodialysis Appointments among Patients with Kidney Failure.

Nonadherence to hemodialysis appointments could potentially result in health complications that can influence morbidity and mortality. We examined the association between different types of inclement weather and hemodialysis appointment adherence. We analyzed health records of 60,135 patients with kidney failure who received in-center hemodialysis treatment at Fresenius Kidney Care clinics across the Northeastern US counties during 2001-2019. County-level daily meteorological data on rainfall, hurricane and tropical storm events, snowfall, snow depth, and wind speed were extracted using National Oceanic and Atmosphere Agency data sources. A time-stratified case-crossover study design with conditional Poisson regression was used to estimate the effect of inclement weather exposures within the Northeastern US region. We applied a distributed lag nonlinear model framework to evaluate the delayed effect of inclement weather for up to 1 week. We observed positive associations between inclement weather and missed appointment (rainfall, hurricane and tropical storm, snowfall, snow depth, and wind advisory) when compared with noninclement weather days. The risk of missed appointments was most pronounced during the day of inclement weather (lag 0) for rainfall (incidence rate ratio [RR], 1.03 per 10-mm rainfall; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02 to 1.03) and snowfall (RR, 1.02; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.02). Over 7 days (lag 0-6), hurricane and tropical storm exposures were associated with a 55% higher risk of missed appointments (RR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.22 to 1.98). Similarly, 7-day cumulative exposure to sustained wind advisories was associated with 29% higher risk (RR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.25 to 1.31), while wind gusts advisories showed a 34% higher risk (RR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.29 to 1.39) of missed appointment. Inclement weather was associated with higher risk of missed hemodialysis appointments within the Northeastern United States. Furthermore, the association between inclement weather and missed hemodialysis appointments persisted for several days, depending on the inclement weather type.

Shape investigation and probabilistic representation of coastal storms. Applications to Mykonos and Barcelona

The main objective of the present work is the probabilistic representation of coastal storms’ parameters through non-parametric probability distributions that can give satisfactory estimates in the whole range of the variables’ values. Their proper probabilistic representation can provide crucial information for many applications including the probabilistic design of marine and coastal structures. Different non-parametric univariate distributions in combination with different copula types or the conditional model are applied, to check the closeness of their fit to the available bivariate coastal storm data (e.g., the storms’ maximum wave height and the associated peak wave period). Moreover, except for the classical kernel distribution, a new, recently developed Box-Cox transformed kernel method is also examined and applied. The latter has been already evaluated so far to sea states data but not to storm data. Therefore, the adopted methodology is implemented to real coastal storms in two different locations, derived from wave recordings from Mykonos (Greece) and Barcelona (Spain). Furthermore, some of the significant statistical properties of the observed coastal storms, such as the calm period, the duration, and the shape (triangular or trapezoid) are also detected. From the present analysis, the derived methodology for representing accurately coastal storms is clarified, giving thus a useful tool to engineers and researchers to consider extreme events probability of occurrence, which is essential for the design of coastal structures and consequently for the protection of coastal communities.

Evaluation of Convective Environments in the NARCliM Regional Climate Modeling System for Australia

Severe thunderstorms lead to multiple hazards including torrential precipitation, flash flood, hail, lightning, and wind gusts. The meso- to micro-scale nature of thunderstorms impose great challenges from understanding individual storm dynamics, storm climatology as well as projecting their future activities. High-resolution regional climate models can resolve the convective environments better than global models. Australia, especially the east and southeast parts of the continent, is a global hot spot for severe thunderstorms. This study evaluates the simulated convective environments from the New South Wales (NSW) and Australian Regional Climate Modelling (NARCliM) project based on the parameters of CAPE, CIN, 0–6-km vertical wind shear and storm severity. The ensemble regional downscaling is compared against the fifth-generation European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecast Reanalysis (ERA5). The results show that although there are apparent biases (generally positive for CAPE and negative for CIN, and slightly overestimated vertical wind shear) in the downscaled storm parameters, the climatology of measures of storm severity over land, including their spatial patterns and seasonality, agree well with ERA5. These results have strong implication on the application of the climate projection to assess future convective environments in the region.

Impact of Weather on Marine Vessel Accidents in the Iraqi Port of Umm Qasr, a Case Study of the Salihiah Tugboat Accident

The Arabian Gulf is known as a global center for trade, oil export, and shipping because the countries around the Gulf have many important commercial and oil ports. The southern port of Umm Qasr is one of these important transportation sites in the northern Arabian Gulf, as it includes berths for shipping goods as well as oil berths for importing and exporting oil derivatives and crude transport. Any disruption or disruption in port operations may lead to significant economic and material losses to Iraq. Marine accidents caused by bad weather are considered one of the most serious risks and obstacles facing marine work. In this study, we will investigate and evaluate the meteorological conditions that influence and cause marine accidents. The Salihiah tugboat accident, which collided with a foreign ship in 2020, and led to the sinking of the tow boat in the southern port of Umm Qasr. The disaster was caused by a violent dust storm and high wind speed. Two cases of dust storms were recorded on the day of the accident and several cases of dust raised, and there was also a significant drop in sea level pressure that led to the storm and the lack of visibility in the port of Umm Qasr. The aim of the study is to know the main causative weather factor for the accident and to advise the managers of Iraqi ports to take measures and reduce activity in bad weather conditions.

Study the changes in wetland landscape patterns using remote sensing images – A case study of Jiulongjiangkou, Fujian, China

Remote sensing images play an important role in landscape pattern analysis. Medium/low-resolution remote sensing images are widely used because they are freely available. However, sometimes the results are not precise enough due to the data quality. Therefore, this study utilized the 30m medium-resolution remote sensing images acquired by the Landsat-8 satellite, which is associated with super-resolution technology of deep learning to upsample the spatial resolution from 30 * 30 m2 to about 7.5 * 7.5 m2 and perform artificial interpretation on the upsampling images. Several indexes of the landscape pattern were used to analyze the landscape composition and landscape pattern evolution trend of the Jiulongjiangkou wetland in Fujian Province from 2013 to 2021. The results showed that: (1) The total wetland area decreased from 101.26 km2 to 92.65 km2. (2) The silt beach has the most dramatic change; its area is decreased by 6.53 km2. (3) The speed of urban expansion is obvious. The industrial and mining lands increased from 9.15 km2 to 22.15 km2, and the traffic land increased from 1.9 km2 to 3.46 km2. The study found that wind speed, temperature, radiation index, storm runoff, and human activities are the five main driving factors affecting wetland change.

A method for generating a quasi-linear convective system suitable for observing system simulation experiments

Abstract. To understand the impact of different assimilated observations on convection-allowing model forecast skill, a diverse range of observing system simulation experiment (OSSE) case studies are required (different storm modes and environments). Many previous convection-allowing OSSEs predicted the evolution of an isolated supercell generated via a warm air perturbation in a horizontally homogenous environment. This study introduces a new methodology in which a quasi-linear convective system is generated in a highly sheared and modestly unstable environment. Wind, temperature, and moisture perturbations superimposed on a horizontally homogeneous environment simulate a cold front that initiates an organized storm system that spawns multiple mesovortices. Mature boundary layer turbulence is also superimposed onto the initial environment to account for typical convective-scale uncertainties. Creating an initial forecast ensemble remains a challenge for convection-allowing OSSEs because mesoscale uncertainties are difficult to quantify and represent. The generation of the forecast ensemble is described in detail. The forecast ensemble is initialized by 24 h full-physics simulations (e.g., radiative forcing, surface friction, and microphysics). The simulations assume different surface conditions to alter surface moisture and heat fluxes and modify the effects of friction. The subsequent forecast ensemble contains robust non-Gaussian errors that persist until corrected by the data assimilation system. This purposely degraded initial forecast ensemble provides an opportunity to assess whether assimilated environmental observations can improve, e.g., the wind profile. An example OSSE suggests that a combination of radar and conventional (surface and soundings) observations are required to produce a skilled quasi-linear convective system forecast, which is consistent with real-world case studies. The OSSE framework introduced in this study will be used to understand the impact of assimilated environmental observations on forecast skill.

Effect of Deforestation on Livelihood and the Adaptation Strategies in Niger South Senatorial District, Niger State, Nigeria

Tropical rainforests are ecosystem of genetic diversity that offers an important medicinal plants source, it’s also provides high-yield foods, and a myriad of other important products. They are an important environment for migratory animals and maintain as much as fifty percent of the species on globe, as well as several diverse and unique indigenous cultures. They also act an important role in controlling world weather in addition to sustaining normal rainfall, while preventing against floods, deforestations, and erosion. The study’s aim is to analyse the effect of deforestation on livelihood and the adaptation strategies in Niger South Senatorial District, Niger state, Nigeria. Information about the various effects of deforestation and adaptation strategies was collected using a structured questionnaire and Focus Group Discussion (FGD). The result shows that wind storms, flooding, late rainfall; low output yields, and wide spreads of pest infestation were ranked as the major effects of deforestation. Different survival strategies are been used by the respondents comprises of fishing, animal rearing, poultry production, hiring labour and use of fertilizer to maximize production. It was acceded by the more than half of the discussants at FGD that artisan work and small- scale businesses are the major other sources of livelihood used by the individuals. In their various submissions, they all attest that wind storms and flooding are the most common problem of deforestation noticeable in the study area.

Nearshore placement of dredged material for estuarine shoreline restoration in Berkeley Township, New Jersey

Nearshore placement of sediments for beach nourishment has become a standard, cost-effective method for shore protection along ocean-facing shorelines but is not a widely adopted practice within tidal estuaries due to environmental concerns such as turbidity, burial of benthic and shore organisms, and pollution. This paper describes the monitoring and evaluation of nearshore placement of dredged materials at Goodluck Point, Berkeley Township, New Jersey. A total of approximately 4,500 cubic meters of dredged material was placed in the nearshore to create a parallel bar along a 0.5 km stretch of existing beach. The narrow beach is the front edge of a marsh system severely impacted by erosion due to lack of sediment supply compounded with local currents and waves that transport sediment out of the beach system offshore and alongshore. This beach erosion is exacerbated during coastal storms events. The Goodluck Point marsh is part of the Edwin B. Forsythe Wildlife Refuge managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Nearshore placement was determined to be part of an experimental project designed to evaluate methods of restoration for the marsh and reduce future impacts. The design for the nearshore placement called for sand to be placed in a temporary parallel bar just offshore of the existing beach, and over time it would weld to the beach. Analysis of pre- and post-placement surveys indicate that much of the dredged material placed in the project area remained there throughout the 18-month monitoring period. However, a combination of storms during and after placement, as well as ongoing longshore transport processes, resulted in the sand being washed south along the beach and accumulating in just the southern 200 meters of the project area. This paper introduces and suggests that the concept of “process-based design” will maximize resiliency benefits through more extensive pre-placement monitoring and modeling to identify optimal placement strategies. Process-based design is a beneficial use strategy that takes advantage of natural sediment transport processes to enhance or re-create nature-based shore protection features.

A geodatabase of historical landslide events occurring in the highly urbanized volcanic area of Campi Flegrei, Italy

Abstract. The analysis of geological processes threatening people and properties in a populated region should be based on a comprehensive knowledge of historical events and related characteristics. This type of information is essential for predisposing event scenarios, validating prediction models, and planning risk mitigation measures. Such activities may be more complex in some geological settings, where urban settlements are exposed to multi-hazard conditions. This is the case of the densely populated Campi Flegrei volcanic area located in the Campania region, southern Italy. Here, volcanic and seismic hazards are associated with landslides, floods, and coastal erosion, which are playing a relevant role in the landscape modification. The CAmpi Flegrei LAndslide Geodatabase (CAFLAG), here presented, provides information related to 2302 landslides that occurred in the continental, coastal, and insular sectors of the study area during the 1828–2017 time interval. Data associated with the collected landslide events highlight the characteristics of both landslides and of the affected sites. Most of the cataloged mass movements consist of rock falls affecting rocky slopes formed by lithified volcanic rocks, such as tuff or ignimbrite. In addition, rainfall-induced earth and debris slides translating into debris avalanches or rapid flows are widespread along steep slopes mantled by weakly welded pyroclastic airfall deposits, similarly to other areas of the region. The highest density of landslides is concentrated along the coastline, where mass movements are contributing to the retreat of coastal cliffs, and along inland slopes exposed towards the western directions, where most of the storm systems come from. Temporal information shows peaks of landslides in the years 1986, 1997, and 2005. A total of 127 people lost their lives as a consequence of 53 cataloged landslides, with a frequency of deadly events observed however to have decreased since the early 1980s. This information will be useful to analyze mortality and risk conditions still affecting the population of the Campi Flegrei caldera, which should be fully addressed with advanced knowledge and accurate scenarios. The full database is freely available online at https://doi.org/10.4121/14440757.v2 (Esposito and Matano, 2021).

A More Realistic Solution to Refugee Housing Using the Isoperimetric Honeycomb Conjecture

Over 6.6 million people live in refugee camps around the world. High-velocity wind storms frequently rip short-term structures in these camps apart, destroying what little refugees have left. Through the application of the Isoperimetric Honeycomb Conjecture and the Laws of Phi, we engineered a new, translationally symmetric icosahedron. This design minimizes the use of material needed by maximizing the number of isoperimetric hexagons and minimizing the number of pentagons while still creating a dome-like structure. After aerodynamic testing, we found the wind resistance of our structure to be 174.67 mph. Additionally, we engineered inexpensive, waterproof connectors to securely hold the structure together. These connectors were designed by developing a novel mathematical method involving calculating each dihedral angle using multivariable calculus and Euclidean geometry. We used three-dimensional vectors to calculate each cartesian point, then using the cross product found the normal vectors of each vertex. The point of intersections of these normal vectors were then inserted into an inverse cosine function giving us the dihedral angles needed for the connector design. This mathematical method was proven through the construction of our life-size model. The final 5-6 person structure is waterproof and fire-resistant, lasts 20 years, folds to the size of 1 backpack weighing 28.9 lbs, and costs $58.11 to make, which is 400-500 dollars cheaper than anything comparable on the market today. Also, our house follows the laws of special right triangles and therefore can be as small as a 1-2 person house or as big as a temporary hospital or school without additional structural support. The efficient, secure design, combined with the wind resistance of the structure, can help millions of refugees and has applications to help others such as military personnel or victims of natural disasters.

On "Storm Clouds on the Horizon: The 3 Perils of Unconstrained Academic Growth in Physical Therapist Education." Deusinger SS, Landers MR. Phys Ther. 2022;102:pzac046. https://doi.org/10.1093/ptj/pzac046.

Journal Article Accepted manuscript On “Storm Clouds on the Horizon: The 3 Perils of Unconstrained Academic Growth in Physical Therapist Education.” Deusinger SS, Landers MR. Phys Ther. 2022; 102:pzac046. https://doi.org/10.1093/ptj/pzac046 Get access Elizabeth Dean Elizabeth Dean Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Address all correspondence to Dr Dean at: elizabeth.dean@ubc.ca Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Physical Therapy, pzad031, https://doi.org/10.1093/ptj/pzad031 Published: 07 March 2023 Article history Received: 13 December 2022 Revision received: 02 January 2023 Accepted: 03 March 2023 Published: 07 March 2023

Cascadia Earthquake-Triggered Rockslide Burial of Beeswax Galleon Wreck Timbers in a Sea Cliff Wave-Cut Platform Site, North Smuggler Cove, Oregon, USA

Shipwreck timbers (n=27) from the Spanish galleon Santo Cristo de Burgos, also known as the Beeswax Wreck (lost in 1693), are examined for origins of multiple, simultaneous rockslide burials that protected and preserved the timbers on an intertidal wave-cut platform in the small Smuggler Cove in the Northern Oregon coast. The rockslides (n=3–4) that buried the shipwreck timbers are compared to nearby historic rockslide analogs to better establish the mechanisms of boulder distributions on the wave-cut platform. Large boulders (n=20), generally ≥1.0 m intermediate diameter, in the North Smuggler Cove (NSC) timber burial site were measured for estimated mass (1–41 t) and alongshore distribution below small gullies that routed the boulders to the wave-cut platform from overlying short (~100 m distance) but steep hillslopes (40–60% gradient). The multiple independent rockslides in the NSC site, dated to ~300 years by the buried Beeswax Wreck timbers, showed catastrophic, simultaneous activation by a widespread trigger. Anomalous rainfall and/or storm wave attack are unlikely mechanisms for these rockslide activations due to 1) hillslope protections from extended-upslope surface water discharge and 2) sea cliff protection from direct storm wave impacts. The most likely widespread trigger for rockslide activation in the NSC site is seismic ground shaking from an earthquake in the Central Cascadia subduction zone. Modern storm wind velocities (>10 s-1 sustained velocity and 170–225° bearing) and storm surge generated rip currents (≥0.5 km offshore distance) indicate that Beeswax Wreck timbers could have been transported north (1–10 km) to Smuggler Cove, within several winter seasons after the breakup of the Santo Cristo de Burgos. The most likely seismic trigger that could have activated the multiple rockslides in the NSC site, shortly after the brief accumulation of shipwreck timbers on the narrow, intertidal wave-cut platform in Smuggler Cove, is the 1700 Cascadia great earthquake (Mw~9.0). Additional sea cliff rockslide sites (n=8) in the central Cascadia margin are suggested for further investigations of seismically activated slope failures by the 1700 Cascadia great earthquake.

‘In it for the money, not the science’?1 Problems and potentials of stormchasing media

Stormchasing is the practice of following storm systems and storms in progress over land. Though a critical part of research into meteorology by providing on the ground data for comparison with remote radar, satellite and/or other mechanized sources, stormchasing has more recently become part of the journalistic and digital media landscape. Despite its importance, stormchasing media has not been studied as either a media form and industry in its own right or in regard to reception by its audience. This article will begin to redress this absence through a pilot study encompassing the analysis of stormchasing texts, industrial context(s) and audience reception.

Contesting Against Sea Level Rise in Singapore

Many of the world’s most significant cities have urbanized next to the sea and have even expanded into the sea through extensive land reclamation. Due to climate change the coastal storms are becoming more intensified and sea levels are rising, and this is huge challenge that governments have to face. The goal of the Singapore Sea Level Rise Design Competition was to draw awareness to the impacts of sea level rise and its possible solutions.

Creating Economic Resilience of Rural Economy in Facing the Potential Storm Clouds of Global Recession

Creating Economic Resilience of Rural Economy in Facing the Potential Storm Clouds of Global Recession

Strange Storms: Rainfall Extremes From the Remnants of Hurricane Ida (2021) in the Northeastern US

AbstractOn 1 September 2021, the remnants of Hurricane Ida transformed into a lethal variant of tropical cyclone in which unprecedented short‐duration rainfall from clusters of supercells produced catastrophic flooding in watersheds of the Northeastern US. Short‐duration rainfall extremes from Ida are examined through analyses of polarimetric radar fields and rain gauge observations. Rainfall estimates are constructed from a polarimetric rainfall algorithm that is grounded in specific differential phase shift (KDP) fields. Rainfall accumulations at multiple locations exceed 1000‐year values for 1–3 hr time scales. Radar observations show that supercells are the principal agents of rainfall extremes. Record flood peaks occurred throughout the eastern Pennsylvania—New Jersey region; the peak discharge of the Elizabeth River is one of the most extreme in the eastern US, based on the ratio of the peak discharge to the sample 10‐year flood at the gaging station. As with other tropical cyclones that have produced record flooding in the Northeastern US, Extratropical Transition was a key element of extreme rainfall and flooding from Ida. Tropical and extratropical elements of the storm system contributed to extremes of atmospheric water balance variables and Convective Available Potential Energy, providing the environment for extreme short‐duration rainfall from supercells.

The Effect of Salinity on the Egg Production Rate of the Sac-Spawning Calanoid Copepod, Pseudodiaptomus hessei, in a Temporarily Open/Closed Southern African Estuary

Global climate change is anticipated to be associated with changes in the salinity regimes of southern African estuaries as a result of the increased frequency of occurrences of extreme weather events (droughts and coastal storms) and the rise in sea level. The current investigation assessed the impact of salinity on the egg production rate (EPR) of the numerically important sac-spawning calanoid copepod, Pseudodiaptomus hessei, in a temporarily open/closed southern African estuary. The EPR of the copepod was determined using in vitro incubations during three distinct salinity regimes corresponding to the freshwater-deprived (hypersaline-salinity 38 PSU), freshwater-dominated (mesohaline-salinity 5 PSU), and polyhaline water phase (salinity 24 PSU). The egg production rate (EPR) and clutch size of P. hessei during the study ranged from 5.9 to 28.1 eggs F−1 d−1 and between 12 and 36 eggs sac−1, respectively. The EPR and clutch size of P. hessei during the polyhaline phase was significantly higher than during the freshwater-dominated and freshwater-deprived phases (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in prosome length, egg size, or the hatching success of P. hessei during the three salinity regimes (p > 0.05 in all cases). The results of the current study suggest that the salinity changes in TOCEs in response to global climate warming are likely to be associated with a decrease in the reproductive success of P. hessei along the southeastern coastline of South Africa.

Atmospheric humidity and temperature sounding from the CubeSat TROPICS mission: Early performance evaluation with MiRS

Atmospheric humidity and temperature are the two most important geophysical variables for numerical weather forecasting and relevant Earth studies, contributing to the reduction of over 60% forecast errors. Conventional large satellite microwave radiometers provide the primary sounding data of moisture and temperature, with the V-band (near 50 GHz) and G-band (near 183 GHz) as the main spectra. In recent years, CubeSats are rapidly developing with compact sizes, novel designs, and low cost. The NASA TROPICS is an ongoing CubeSat constellation mission for studying tropical meteorology and storm systems, with the first Pathfinder satellite launched on 30 June 2021, which will provide a median revisit rate better than 60 min. TROPICS has innovative channels at F-band (near 118 GHz) and 205 GHz, providing a new perspective for atmospheric sounding. In this study, we have extended the NOAA MiRS system and applied it to TROPICS Pathfinder early-phase, provisionally calibrated data, focusing on moisture and temperature. We have examined the retrieval quality and compared with the ECMWF analysis and MiRS retrievals from NOAA-20 ATMS. An experiment of subsetting ATMS to match up with TROPICS channels is also conducted. Here we focus on atmospheric humidity and temperature retrievals, since they are of primary importance for microwave sounders and is tied to the core of the TROPICS mission along with precipitation retrieval. Compared to traditional channels, TROPICS F-band and 205 GHz provide new information content with distinct sensitivity to moisture and hydrometeors, showing for example over 20 K larger dynamic range of brightness temperature at 205 GHz compared to 190 GHz. The retrieved total precipitable water compared to ECMWF has a correlation coefficient of 0.955, 0.985, and 0.977 for TROPICS, ATMS, and ATMS subset, respectively. For water vapor profile, the standard deviation of retrieval to ECMWF is 0.93, 0.76, and 0.80 g/kg for the three experiments, respectively, and regarding temperature, it is 2.5, 1.5, and 1.6 K, respectively. The retrieval shows dependence on surface type and clouds, where land and cloudy conditions degrade retrieval compared to ocean and clear condition. The early performance is promising, and the successful MiRS extension paves the way to explore improved data when the calibration validation is complete and from the forthcoming constellation.

Coastal Defense Megaprojects in an Era of Sea-Level Rise: Politically Feasible Strategies or Army Corps Fantasies?

Storm surge barriers, levees, and other coastal flood defense megaprojects are currently being proposed as strategies to protect several US cities against coastal storms and rising sea levels. However, social conflict and other political factors add a layer of complexity that casts doubt on their status as practical climate adaptation options. The specific mechanisms responsible for some projects not progressing beyond initial planning stages remains unclear. In this study, we examined the outcome of two USACE storm surge barrier proposals to explore the political reasons why some coastal flood protection megaprojects break ground in the US, while others do not. Using original archive research, we concluded that storm surge barriers are politically challenging climate adaptation options because of modern environmental laws that provide avenues for expression of oppositional views within the decision process and the allure of alternative options that are more aesthetically pleasing and cheaper and faster to implement. To better allocate public resources and utilize the expertise of USACE, future flood protection megaprojects should first achieve broad support from the public, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and elected officials before beginning serious planning. This support could be achieved through new innovative designs that simultaneously address adverse environmental impacts and provide cobenefits (e.g., recreation). New designs should be studied to better understand the level of protection offered and their associated reliability so that USACE has confidence in their use.