November 1, 2012

This undated image provided by Arcadis shows the Dutch engineering firm�s proposal to build a barrier in the Verrazano Narrows between New York’s Brooklyn borough and Staten Island, shielding the Upper New York Bay. This barrier would be supplemented by two smaller barriers, one between Staten Island and New Jersey and the other on the East River. 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, scientists and engineers say. The multibillion price tag of such a project has been a hindrance, but may appear more palatable after the damage from Superstorm Sandy has been tallied.

This undated image provided by Arcadis shows the Dutch engineering firm�s proposal to build a barrier in the Verrazano Narrows between New York’s Brooklyn borough and Staten Island, shielding the Upper New York Bay. This barrier would be supplemented by two smaller barriers, one between Staten Island and New Jersey and the other on the East River. 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, scientists and engineers say. The multibillion price tag of such a project has been a hindrance, but may appear more palatable after the damage from Superstorm Sandy has been tallied.