Megastorm Aftermath: Investigating Hurricane Sandy

In October 2012, Hurricane Sandy devastated the coastlines of New York and New Jersey, becoming the biggest, most destructive storm to hit Manhattan in recorded history. Was this a freak of nature or a window on our future? With climate change, shrinking ice caps, and rising sea levels, flood surges threaten not only New York City, but also Miami, New Orleans, and Charleston, SC. Filmmaker Miles O'Brien's PBS-aired NOVA documentary examines the causes and consequences of Sandy, which brought flood waters that shorted out transformers in lower Manhattan, leaving the area in the dark, and wiping out the phone system in the hub of the city's financial district, while also swamping the subways. Some have proposed erecting a "fortress New York" system of seawalls and barriers, a move that could cost untold billions of dollars, with no guarantee of success. Scientists point to the Netherlands, which constructed a complex of walls, dikes, and levees following a catastrophic 1953 storm (the film explores how the system works, and notes recent unforeseen ecological effects). New thinking leans toward a combination of hard barriers and "soft defenses" such as wetlands, marshes, and bulked-up barrier islands. The idea here is not retreat, but rather accommodation—a plan to "make room for the river," even if it means that the government buys and clears land. Regardless, it's still questionable whether massive storm surges can be stopped. Weather forecasts call for fewer but more powerful hurricanes, with one scientist here flatly predicting that "Florida is doomed"—destined to become "one large swimming pool." Featuring input from meteorologists, engineers, urban planners, and concerned citizens, this is a solid complement to PBS's earlier Hurricane Sandy: Inside the Megastorm (VL-7/13), which dealt more broadly with related scientific issues and policy. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (S. Rees)