Retooling New York for Apocalyptic Storms

During World War II, a German U-boat made its way into New York Harbour. It fired two torpedoes at a British tanker, splitting the hull in three places and igniting it in flames. The captain and 35 members of his crew burned to death. Seventy years later, New York Harbour is Lower Manhattan’s first line of defence against another threat: the rising tides of the sea.

Congress passes $50.5B Superstorm Sandy aid bill

Three months after Superstorm Sandy ravaged coastal areas in much of the Northeast, Congress on Monday sent a $50.5 billion emergency relief measure for storm victims to President Barack Obama for his signature.

Shoring Up the Nation’s Crumbling Coastlines

Hurricane Sandy pummeled the beaches of the Northeast, stripping away sand and dunes, and ploughing through seawalls. Can beaches be rebuilt to face fiercer storms and rising seas? And is there even enough sand to do it? Ira Flatow and guests discuss engineering the nation’s coasts for “the new normal.”

Risks of Hurricane Sandy-like Surge Events Rising

The track of Hurricane Sandy was unprecedented in the historical record of North Atlantic Ocean Basin hurricanes, and its deadly storm surge, is likely to become a more frequent event as the climate continues to warm due in large part to manmade greenhouse gas emissions.

Green Approaches to Water Gaining Ground Around World

After Hurricane Sandy swept through the northeast of the United States, millions of New Yorkers were left for days without electricity. But they still had access to drinking water, thanks to New York City’s reliance on protected watershed areas for potable water.

A Look at the Challenges of Rebuilding the Jersey Shore

Pr Rob Young, director of the Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines at Western Carolina University in NC, where the coastline has been battered by hurricanes for many years, talks about beach nourishment, the perils of rebuilding along the Jersey shore, and some mitigation measures the state is looking at…