A preliminary assessment of coastal GI's role during Hurricane Sandy: a case study of three communities.

New York City's coastlines are a mosaic of natural and man-made habitats intermixed with housing and industry, all of which are extremely vulnerable to flooding, storm surge, and damaging wave action. Risks are projected to increase over time as sea levels rise, population grows, and the frequency and severity of extreme events increase. This paper investigates the potential role of green infrastructure (GI) as a risk reduction measure, using Hurricane Sandy as a case study. Specifically, this research examines whether the type, size, and configuration of GI played a role in determining the odds of building damages. Results suggest that proximity to different GI types did affect the odds of damage, both positively and negatively, and that the impacts of both small-scale and large-scale natural features varied geographically. Results suggest that nature-based solutions to coastal flooding must be tailored to specific local conditions in order to be effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]