US: Are East Coast cities prepared for impacts of Hurricane Irene?

In his post, Senior Attorney and Natural Resources Defense Council's staff Jon Devine answers the questions: What kind of damage will Irene do? Is your city prepared for it? An NRDC report providies some insight by exploring similar anticipated impacts from extreme weather (including more frequent and intense storms, and increased flooding), which we expect to increase in various parts of the country as a result of climate change. He gives a closer look at Boston, New York and Norfolk (VA) and provides a breakdown of where those cities’ weaknesses lie, and what they're doing to prepare for extreme weather, flooding and other coming impacts expected from climate change.

"Higher sea levels, coupled with the likelihood of more frequent and intense storms, are expected to cause coastal flooding throughout New York, threatening the city's low-lying infrastructure, including roads, subway and rail lines and LaGuardia airport."