People in New Jersey are told they must pay thousands to protect their homes, either by rebuilding or via high insurance premiums.
Superstorm Sandy has landed one final stunning blow to New Jersey as the state adopted tough new rebuilding guidelines.
The rules will force homeowners in flood zones to spend tens of thousands of dollars to raise their houses or pay exorbitant premiums of up to $31k (£19.6k) a year for flood insurance.
Governor Chris Christie said he adopted flood maps issued late last year by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as New Jersey's standard for rebuilding from the worst storm in its history.
In the hardest hit states of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, the storm destroyed more than 30,000 homes, caused $37bn in damage and is still keeping 41,000 people out of their damaged homes.
Gov. Christie said there are "very few places" where New Jerseyans will be able to avoid rebuilding if the higher buildings standards are used.
"If you choose not to, you'll have substantially higher flood insurance costs, which could be ... seven or eight times what you pay now," he said.
"For the shore as a whole, I think that's the right decision to make."
Government grants of up to $30k are available to help offset the cost of elevating homes.
But some homeowners say they need to start work now, which means paying up front and hoping for reimbursement later.
"The cost of raising my house is $60k," Chuck Appleby of Seaside Park said.
"It's easy to say that's just two years of what you would pay in higher insurance costs, but if you don't have that kind of money, you're stuck."
Gov. Christie said there will be government assistance programmes set up with some of the federal storm aid expected to go up for a US Senate vote next Monday.
Northeast lawmakers from both parties hope to win Senate approval of the delayed $50.5bn emergency relief bill and send it to the President, who has said he would sign it. The House passed the measure last week.
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