Structures can be built pretty well, but I cannot fathom much of anything that can stand up to a prolonged, hours long beating with the waves on top of a storm surge.
Direct oceanfront takes the pounding. With all but the most severe of hurricanes, by the time you get a couple of blocks in, the force has been deflected by frontal dunes, seawalls and structures closer to the waterfront, and so the surge turns into "overwash" which is more in line with a cresting river as far as potential damage from moving water.