Granite? Aluminum? Wood? Rethinking coastal infrastructure in wake of January’s storms

Maine 's back-to-back January storms that walloped the state’s coast were devastating.

Engineers are trying to draft designs for new wharves, docks and piers that will make the infrastructure less vulnerable to rising seas and stronger storms.

Commercial docks are taking priority, said Prock Marine , while residential customers will have to wait until the summer of 2025 .

Those who live and work on the waterfront have a short list of options as sea levels rise, as marine geologist Peter Slovinsky told the Monitor last year : “Do nothing, avoid, accommodate, adapt, protect and relocate.” One thing, said Knauer , is for certain. “Try as you might, you’re not going to stop the water.” This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald : Waterfront owners rethink coastal infrastructure in wake of storms.