As sea levels rise—compounding coastal problems such as erosion, storm surge and tidal flooding—engineers are changing the way they work, using adaptive design and new technologies to prepare for an uncertain future

To combat rising waters and storm surge in Atlantic City, N.J., the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is building a $34-million seawall-like project—the Absecon Inlet Coastal Storm Damage Reduction Structure.

After Superstorm Sandy brought the reality of sea-level rise home  to New York City, city leaders and the community responded.

For years, the city of Miami Beach had approached the concept of sea-level rise much like that of other coastal communities: with a lot of “talk talk talk” but not much action, says Bruce Mowry, city engineer.

Hampton Roads in Virginia—seven communities and 11 federal facilities—is facing one of the worst combinations of erosion, subsidence and sea-level rise in the nation.

Another seawall wasn’t the answer.

Nearing completion in Texas, a 50-MW power plant will demonstrate a first-of-a-kind natural-gas power system.