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I I 1 ~ I I l Much of this island was inundated by storm surges In 1910 and 1944 while it was undeveloped. The recent development of these floodplailJ lands puts vast amounts of property and large numbers of people in jeopardy. The principal ways by which man creates flood problems in coastal areas are: . Locating structures near the shore- line, thus increasing the potential for damage and interfering "ith the natural replenishment of sand. . Removing dunes which protect inland areas from storm surges and high waves. After Development . Destroying wetlands and vegetation which absorb and slow storm surges and waves. . Constructing seawalls and bulkheads that sometimes increase erosion and lead to loss of protective beaches and dunes. Types of Flood Losses About 90 percent of all losses from natural disasters in the United States are caused by floods. The total economic losses from floods are estima- ted to average almost $4 billion each year--about $15 for each man, woman and child. The types and amount of losses caused by a flood depend on its depth, velocity, season and time of occur- rence, speed of onset, duration, sediment and debris content, and type of area affected. Damage to an agricul- tural area, for instance, is quite different than that experienced in an urban area. The economic losses from floods are of three types; direct damages, indirect damages, and other costs. Direct by the force tion, or by damages are those caused of floodwaters, by inunda- the sediment and debris Increase in Flood Height Before Development Buildings, land fills and other encroachments on the floodplain take up space needed for the passage of flood flows. This can result in damage to the development as well as more extensive flooding upstream of and adjacent to the development. 15