Generally the most vulnerable areas in our city are low-lying areas where development was built on top of salt marshes or freshwater wetlands. Other vulnerabilities are in coastal areas where soft shorelines have been hardened, undermining natural systems’ ability to provide protection from stormwaters and surges. In order to take people out of harm's way and to leave the land to serve as a buffer for storm surges and sea level rises, buy-out programs for residents in low-lying areas have been proposed. Working with nature is the theme in many city projects where restorations are taking place on the shoreline to help absorb and contain excess water during future surges.