I’m a dozen miles west of NYC, and we were part of targeted power outages (as the damage to the power stations would be worse if they flooded while active). Because of the population density, we knew we would be among the first restored (and we were); I really sympathized with those who had moved out to the idyllic hills to the west, as the population was so much smaller they’d be the last to have power restored (and that is exactly what happened). Generators are like sump pumps; the former needs a reliable source of fuel while the latter needs reliable electricity.
Sandy taught us that the development we’d engaged in for decades wasn’t planned very well; like some parts of New Orleans, they either shouldn’t have built in these places or they should have built smarter. I’ve seen large new homes on the Outer Banks, and each one is perched atop its own hill with a steep driveway heading up to it. The streets could be under ten feet of water and these places would be dry as a bone; none had basements, either (so water that might get in would simply flow downhill out). It looks odd, but it works - and these homes were mansions.
Yeah, lots of houses on the CT shore got jacked up after Sandy:
https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Sandy-a-game-changer-for-shoreline-living-4928491.php
(Our federal tax dollars paid for lots of rich people to elevate their very expensive, waterfront homes.)