The physical environment of the coast draws people to it for aesthetics, recreation and sport. Beaches are considered to be high-amenity environments in which to live. Here in Virginia, people are drawn to the coast by the ocean, but that same ocean can also destroy the works of humankind. Sandbridge, Virginia Beach, Virginia - Steel bulkheads cannot withstand the impact of storm waves riding high tides, particularly in the face of a constantly rising sea level. Under the impact of the northeastern storms that typify the north Atlantic coast, bulkheads such as these may last for only a few years.
Hurricanes are also potential hazards along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.
The physical systems of the atmosphere and ocean periodically unleash their fury on Sandbridge, threatening the built environment. For almost a thousand years, the Dutch have been waging war against the sea. They have built dikes along the coast of their country to hold back the waters of the North Sea. Half the land from their country has been reclaimed from the oceans. It lies below sea level.