Mitigation of storm surge and hurricane risks through mangroves:

Hurricanes and storm surge waves have a noticeable and direct impact on private property and public infrastructure in coastal cities, with damages exceeding billions of dollars for repairs and reconstruction—let alone the human toll. In 2017 alone, Hurricanes Irma, Maria and Harvey caused combined damage of over $300 billion through Florida, states along the Gulf of Mexico and Puerto Rico.

Determining whether some native green infrastructure types are capable of withstanding forces of extreme storm surge waves and hurricane winds may radically change how we manage storm surge and hurricane risk in coastal urban areas. Our research focuses on quantifying storm surge and hurricane wind mitigation estimates provided by various green infrastructure types and how this mitigation translates to surrounding coastal urban areas.