Driving over the main deck over the bay to Sea Isle City New Jersey, the first thing the eye can't help but fixate on is the large light blue water tower with the phrase “Smile”. You are in Sea Isle City” plastered on the side. Immediately this tower gives tourists and vacationers a feeling of happiness, pleasure and relaxation. The island itself is small and narrow. Just ahead, as one enters the town, the crashing waves of the raging ocean can be seen not far from the bay itself. A narrow beach and an asphalt promenade border part of the short coastline. The promenade is lined with restaurants, shops and arcades. Here, the majority of vacationers spend their leisurely summers walking, biking, skating, and rollerblading in the central part of town overlooking the ocean. A few of the hundreds of beach houses and condominiums are visible on either side of the street as one walks along Main Street or "JFK Blvd". in town. The majority of the island consists of simply asphalt roads, residential homes, and paved sidewalks with little room for fields and grass. It is evident from the layout of the town that the small island was built as a tourist or resort location for the many seasonal vacationers who spend their summers on the shore. The majority of land on Sea Isle is dedicated to residential use by local owners, tenants and vacationers (Image 1). A city seemingly built for tourists, located so close to raging ocean waters, with little protection from flooding. The same streets and sidewalks on which vacationers enjoy leisurely strolls during sunny days can be completely submerged in water. The city can easily become paralyzed, trapping residents in their homes, desperate to be evacuated. Why does anyone...... middle of paper .......pdfMuriel Watkins, “Testing Innovation in the Superstorm Sandy Response,” September 15, 2013, http://www.astd.org /Publications/Magazines/The-Public-Manager/Archives/2013/Fall/Testing-Innovation-in-the-Superstorm-Sandy-Response (accessed April 7, 2014)Sea Isle City General Ordinance, Chapter XXI Boardwalk and Protection of beaches of Dunes, Section 4.2:e, 2013. http://clerkshq.com/default.ashx?clientsite=seaisle-njCarl H. Hobbs, “Erosion and Shore Protection” The Beach BookCBS News, Jersey Shore Amusement Park Closing its doors , Philadelphia CBS Local, February 23, 2014, http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2014/02/23/jersey-shore-amusement-park-closing-its-doors/ (accessed April 8, 2014)FEMA “Guide to owners to elevation certificates » May 1. 2013. http://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/20130726-1914-25045-8243/floodsmart_factsheet_homeowners.pdf (accessed April 23. 2014).