[Eidolon]

Vulnerable to climate change, New York constructs seawall


DECEMBER 14, 2021
by Ana Fernandez

After major storms highlighted New York's weaknesses in the face of climate change, the city is erecting a $1.45-billion system of walls and floodgates to protect it from rising sea levels.

Superstorm Sandy in 2012 was the trigger for establishing the East Coast Resiliency Project (ESCR), running 2.5 miles (four kilometers) along the shoreline of Lower Manhattan. Hurricane Ida, which ravaged parts of the city this year, added further urgency.

During Sandy, which killed 44 city residents while impacting 110,000 more and leaving $19 billion in damages, water levels rose upwards of eight feet, according to Tom Foley, New York's acting Design and Construction Commissioner.

The completed wall will reach as high as 16.5 feet, Foley said. The project will also include gates to prevent water from seeping into Manhattan, home of the densest population in the United States.

The wall between 23rd and 20th streets is already constructed, an area where the East River and residential housing are at their most narrow.

Seems that the fortification of manhattan against the sea is advancing, glad to see some concrete steps being finally taken.