Our Approach
Fenwick Island’s bayside development has transformed former marshland into a densely developed waterfront community, reducing natural buffers while increasing exposure to interconnected tidal and stormwater flooding. Straughan is helping the Town move from understanding these vulnerabilities to identifying where targeted investments can provide the greatest resilience benefits.
Building on an initial assessment of the Town’s stormwater and flood-protection infrastructure, Straughan divided Fenwick Island into 20 focus areas and developed a multi-criteria framework evaluating social vulnerability, asset vulnerability, and the feasibility of potential improvements. The analysis considers roadway access, current and future flooding, bulkhead and drainage vulnerabilities, and opportunities for nature-based and engineered solutions.
The planning is now informing concepts for priority areas that combine flood barriers, roadway modifications, drainage upgrades, tide valves, bioretention, bioswales, and infiltration practices. By pairing community priorities with engineering analysis, Straughan is helping Fenwick Island create a practical pathway from resilience planning to implementation.
