As the sea level rises, it is alarming that the threat from flooding induced by tropical cyclones would cause more severe damages to coastal regions worldwide. In order to address this threat, optimizing coastal protective or mitigation strategies is necessary, given limited resources. The optimization methodology must incorporate feedback from stakeholders for practical use. Multiple interviews were conducted by engineering model developers and social scientists with stakeholders who have first-hand knowledge and varied backgrounds in New York. The protective strategies have been tuned to the critical infrastructure's particular and contextual risks due to flood hazards by engaging and integrating stakeholders' knowledge on the interdependency of the infrastructures and other aspects after the first interview. The second interview was conducted for further model improvement.

Coastal regions are continuously under the threat of flooding induced by tropical cyclones worldwide. These threats continue to increase due to the effects of climate change such as sea-level rise. A number of available protective or mitigation strategies have been examined to address this threat and protect coastlines around the world. However, identifying the most effective strategy given limited resources is a complex question. Optimization methodologies as we have proposed integrate physical analysis and stakeholder feedback to come to a set of best mitigation strategies. This study examines physical and socio-economical aspects of flooding impacts to optimize these strategies. These are then examined including seawalls, elevated promenades, and strategic retreats.