Over the last few decades, the idea that natural coastal habitats such as mangroves, marshes and oyster reefs protect people by attenuating waves, storm surges, and even tsunamis has gone from being surprising to being widely accepted. However, we are yet to bridge the chasm between understanding that coastal ecosystems can reduce risks and using these ecosystems as protective, risk-reducing measures. One reason for this is the variability associated with natural defenses. Unlike traditional engineering structures, ecosystems constantly change in shape and form in response to their environment, which influences their wave and surge-attenuating capabilities, and in turn, their socio-economic benefits. Also, while protective engineering structures are commonly situated as outer barriers to built-environments, societies often build within and around natural coastal habitats in a much more fragmented manner, resulting in high spatial variability in their protective effects during extreme events. I will discuss, using engineering and geospatial analyses, how ecological changes and the spatial distribution of intertidal habitats such as mangroves and marshes, as well as near-subtidal habitats such as oyster reefs influence wave attenuation, surge attenuation, and ultimately, flood damages to people and property.