What soil type is your house sitting on? Clay, loam, sand? What does that tell you about the likely location? By a river, inland? You don't know what soil type? Don't feel bad. Most Americans probably don't know anymore. A century ago, and longer, a lot of people lived on the farm and they certainly knew! Beyond our American heritage, think about what the British found coming to America. Going south of Virginia they found marshes, pretty well unknown in England. Those marshes needed to be drained, vegetation cut down, making it usable for farming. That mentality is still deeply ingrained in American society. Maybe not farming, but land should be put to good economical use.
The deepening of the St. John's river in Jacksonville Florida, will allow bigger vessels to enter. Hopefully an economic boon, but environmentally? Salt water will get deeper into the river, changing the environment. It is not only about whether it is good or bad, but more about: have we adequately considered the consequences? Who will pay for these? Our tax dollar, or the shipping industry? In the same vein, what about the elaborate homes built along the Pacific Ocean by people who can afford it? Should our tax dollars pay for the break-off of a cliff in front of their house?
Hurricanes, earthquakes, and tornadoes are all short-term challenges that have been around for ages. For the last 450 years, the temperature has been very steady, making it possible to build up an economy as we know it today.
About the year 1000, it shows a similar rise in temperature as we see today. There still was plenty of untouched real estate to buffer the extremes, which we cannot say today.