This study evaluates the value of coastal wetlands in reducing hurricane storm surge damage in southeast Louisiana. Using hydrodynamic modeling and economic analysis, the research demonstrates that wetland continuity and vegetation significantly reduce storm surge levels, thereby protecting property. Simulations for four hurricanes show that surge levels decrease with wetland continuity and vegetation roughness. Regressions confirm that wetland continuity and vegetation along the transect are effective in reducing storm surge levels. A 0.1 increase in wetland continuity per meter reduces property damages by $99-$133, and a 0.001 increase in vegetation roughness decreases damages by $24-$43. These reductions are equivalent to saving 3-5 and 1-2 properties per storm. The study combines hydrodynamic analysis of simulated hurricane storm surges with economic valuation of expected property damages. It shows that wetland continuity and vegetation can significantly reduce storm surge levels, thus reducing property damage. The results indicate that wetland restoration could reduce future vulnerability to hurricane storm surges and decrease the risk of substantial flood damages to residential property. The study also develops a novel methodology for incorporating the influence of wetland characteristics on surge attenuation into modeling and estimating the economic value of wetlands in reducing expected property damages from hurricane storm surge. It shows that a Poisson process can be extended beyond a simply count-data approach to the number of storms to determining explicitly the distribution of expected coastal flood damages related to the distribution of storm events. This approach could be easily tested, adapted and extended to include additional sea-to-coast transects, either in southern Louisiana or other coastal areas of the Gulf of Mexico. It would also be relevant for valuing the storm protection services of other estuarine and coastal habitats, such as mangroves, sea grass beds, coral reefs and sand dunes.This study evaluates the value of coastal wetlands in reducing hurricane storm surge damage in southeast Louisiana. Using hydrodynamic modeling and economic analysis, the research demonstrates that wetland continuity and vegetation significantly reduce storm surge levels, thereby protecting property. Simulations for four hurricanes show that surge levels decrease with wetland continuity and vegetation roughness. Regressions confirm that wetland continuity and vegetation along the transect are effective in reducing storm surge levels. A 0.1 increase in wetland continuity per meter reduces property damages by $99-$133, and a 0.001 increase in vegetation roughness decreases damages by $24-$43. These reductions are equivalent to saving 3-5 and 1-2 properties per storm. The study combines hydrodynamic analysis of simulated hurricane storm surges with economic valuation of expected property damages. It shows that wetland continuity and vegetation can significantly reduce storm surge levels, thus reducing property damage. The results indicate that wetland restoration could reduce future vulnerability to hurricane storm surges and decrease the risk of substantial flood damages to residential property. The study also develops a novel methodology for incorporating the influence of wetland characteristics on surge attenuation into modeling and estimating the economic value of wetlands in reducing expected property damages from hurricane storm surge. It shows that a Poisson process can be extended beyond a simply count-data approach to the number of storms to determining explicitly the distribution of expected coastal flood damages related to the distribution of storm events. This approach could be easily tested, adapted and extended to include additional sea-to-coast transects, either in southern Louisiana or other coastal areas of the Gulf of Mexico. It would also be relevant for valuing the storm protection services of other estuarine and coastal habitats, such as mangroves, sea grass beds, coral reefs and sand dunes.