Oceanfront property is at risk from natural shoreline migration. The storm record demonstrates that the danger is not just to beachfront property, but extends inland, especially on barrier islands. As more and more people live and vacation along the coast, more lives, property and dollars are put at risk. More private development in the coastal zone means more limited access to beaches. The growing congestion, in turn, means that evacuation capabilities may be exceeded.
Risks increase with growth.
The end result is the spiraling total value of coastal property, and the staggering exposure to potential losses in storms. In the USA there are 30 coastal states, including the Great Lakes. By 1990 the figure had grown to 110 million. These numbers amounted to a population density of 1,177 persons per shoreline mile in 1988, with 1,358 per mile projected by 2010. Even without such changes, a reflection on the history of hurricanes and northeasters for the Atlantic and Gulf coasts tells us that nearly 40 million people's lives are going to be affected one way or another in the next few decades.