The U.S. government is bent on preventing future superstorms from wreaking havoc on the East Coast. The current plan of action involves using artificial islands to cushion to blow of superstorms.
Hurricane Sandy was one of the worst superstorms to hit the country. It left both death and destruction in its wake and the U.S. government is currently studying plans to prevent similar disasters from happening in the future.
One of the most practical plans involves using artificial islands that will be constructed off the East Coast near New York and New Jersey. This multibillion dollar project may help the densely populated coastal areas of the country weather incoming storms.
"We've discussed this with the governor's office of Recovery and Resiliency and the Department of Environmental Protection, and they all look at me like, 'Whoa! This is a big deal!" Stevens Institute of Technology professor Alan Blumberg told the Associated Press. "Yes, it is a big deal. It can save lives and protect property."
One of the most devastating aspects of a superstorm is the storm surges that develop off the coast. The stronger the storm, the higher these storm surges get. Storm surges can flood coastal areas and penetrate deep into the mainland. Moreover, these surges can demolish houses, damage power lines and wreck vital infrastructure.
The storm surges generated by Hurricane Sandy cause an estimated $79 billion in damages to the states of New Jersey and New York. Moreover, 159 people lost their lives to the raging waters.
When Typhoon Yolanda hit the Philippines late last year, entire towns in the Visayas region were leveled and thousands of people lost their lives. A large percentage of the deaths were caused by runaway storm surges that battered the island nation. Due to the sheer destructive capacity of storm surges, finding a way to minimize the dangers these surges pose is vital to the safety of the American East Coast.
"Our idea is to build a chain of islands, like a long slender banana," said Blumberg. "The wave action and storm surge will reflect off these islands and go back out to sea rather than hitting the coast. Barnegat Bay would not be pounded, nor would lower Manhattan or Hoboken."
While the plan is currently considered as a practical means of combating storm surges, experts are also aware that there may be significant opposition to the proposed project.
"The sand borrow sites always run into strong objections from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service: 'Something MIGHT live there,'" said the Stockton College's Coastal Research Center head Stewart Farrell. "Next in line would be the historical preservationists: You can't cover up Captain Kidd's treasure ships, no way! And every 19th-century coal barge is an historical treasure. Then there are abundant submarine cables, lines, pipes and rights of way."
