storm invigorates proponents of nyc sea barrier

[xchrom]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SUPERSTORM_STORM_SURGE_BARRIER?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2012-11-01-04-58-40

NEW YORK (AP) -- The vast destruction wreaked by the storm surge in New York could have been prevented with a sea barrier of the type that protects major cities in Europe, some scientists and engineers say. The multibillion-dollar price tag of such a project has been a hindrance, but may appear more palatable after the damage from Superstorm Sandy has been tallied.

"The time has come. The city is finally going to have to face this," said oceanography professor Malcolm J. Bowman at Long Island's Stony Brook University. He has warned for years of the potential for a catastrophic storm surge in New York and has advocated for a barrier.

Invented by Bowman and his colleague Douglas Hill, two European engineering firms have drawn up proposals for walling most of New York off from the sea, at a price just above $6 billion.

Before the storm, Mayor Michael Bloomberg's administration had said it was working to analyze natural risks and the effectiveness of various coast-protection techniques, including storm-surge barriers. But officials had noted that barriers were only one of many ideas, and they have often emphasized more modest, immediate steps the city has taken, such as installing floodgates at sewage plants and raising the ground level while redeveloping a low-lying area in Queens.

[SoCalDem]

1. The price of safety is high, but not as high as fixing the aftermath

A lady just now on MSNBC said that the community she lived in (destroyed) might consist of tents this summer as they rebuild.. and that it used to be mostly tents "back in the day".. Perhaps a better use of repair money would be to rebuild somewhere inland (to LIVE in) and some new tents for camping on a nice wide swath (see current damage map) of public park /beach land. There may not be another storm like this one anytime soon, but then again, there might be.. perhaps camping at the beach, and living higher & drier further inland is best....

The sea usually "wins"..