MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • January 21, 2024
Recent storms have wreaked more havoc up and down the coast of our state, ripping through sand dunes, homes, businesses and other structures. The overwhelming instinct – whether on the coast or inland – is to take immediate steps to repair and rebuild. For most of history, this approach was a sound one. In 2024, however, it does not hold up. Funding that might otherwise be used for rebuilding or resisting storms’ effects can be channeled into the cost of relocation. The writing’s on the wall; the cost is going to become human and involve the loss of life unless we take the appropriate steps to move out of harm’s way.