Framework for Evaluating Coastal Vulnerability to Guide Wavebreaker Stakeholder Engagement

Abstract

Coastal communities along the U.S. East Coast face increasing exposure to storm impacts and chronic erosion due to patterns of wave-driven sediment movement along the shoreline, and climate change driven rising sea levels. Despite these risks, the coastal region continues to grow faster than interior counties, with many communities maintaining strong economic ties to coastal resources. The Wavebreaker, a floating wave attenuation device in development, aims to reduce localized erosion rates and preserve beach widths, enhancing natural coastal protection. To guide early stakeholder engagement and site selection, this project develops a coastal vulnerability framework that evaluates both physical hazard and socioeconomic factors to identify the main drivers of risk in a location. Application of the framework across study sites resulted in four representative vulnerability profiles that provide a foundation for classifying future locations.