Most coastal hazards are natural processes.
Coastal environments typically undergo continual natural change, and shorelines routinely move back and forth as a result of natural processes. In the absence of people and property, these changes are simply examples of the evolution of natural ecosystems. Often, people and property are not absent. In U.S. coastal areas, where population has exploded over the past 30 years, significantly changing demographics and socio-economic conditions. The nation's 30 coastal states contain approximately 85 percent of our entire population and over 50 percent of the population reside within 50 miles of the coast.