Port of Tyne is waiting until it is safe to carry out a full assessment of the South Shields pier.
The scheme at Whiston in Rotherham would protect homes from significant flooding, says the council.
Paul Hunter, whose home was off-limits for a year, says a long-term solution is needed.
Neighbours say they are in "limbo" as they are told flood defences are "not financially viable".
Two years on from Storm Babet, some business owners fear the havoc it wreaked could be repeated.
Maureen Gilbert, 83, died after her Chesterfield home was flooded during Storm Babet in 2023.
Tapton Terrace, where 83-year-old Maureen Gilbert drowned, remains a risk, a coroner has said.
Maureen Gilbert, 83, was found "floating in the water" by her son inside her storm-hit house.
Maureen Gilbert, 83, was found "floating in the water" after the nearby River Rother burst its banks.
