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NARRATOR:
It's a city's worst nightmare.
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Megastorm Sandy delivers a wall
of water 14 feet high...
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MARC MENDE:
There was no way to stop it.
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NARRATOR:
...plowing into New York.
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MENDE:
You needed Superman, I guess.
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NARRATOR:
And across the region,
crucial services collapse.
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DAVID HOLLAND:
This is Manhattan,
and it was just chaos.
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NARRATOR:
Miles of coastline
are devastated.
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DAN MUNDY, SR:
Whatever anybody could do,
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it was not enough.
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And who's to say it ain't
going to happen again?
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NARRATOR:
But there is little doubt
it will.
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The planet is heating up.
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Glaciers are melting.
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Sea level is rising.
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HOLLAND:
Should warm ocean currents
reach these glaciers,
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all hell could break loose.
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NARRATOR:
How do we protect ourselves?
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Can we wall off our cities
from the sea?
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Are some places destined
to disappear?
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Florida is doomed.
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NARRATOR:
In the wake of Sandy,
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how will we respond?
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STEVEN FLYNN:
This is screaming at us that
we need to be better prepared.
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NARRATOR:
"Megastorm Aftermath,"
right now on NOVA.
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ANNOUNCER:
Major funding for NOVA
is provided by the following...
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Supporting NOVA and promoting
public understanding of science.
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And the Corporation
for Public Broadcasting.
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And by:
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And Millicent Bell through:
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Additional funding from:
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Major funding for "Megastorm
Aftermath" is provided by:
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00:02:04,066 --> 00:02:06,868
Expanding opportunities
in America's cities.
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Additional funding from:
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Furthering the values that
contribute to a healthy planet.
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NARRATOR:
New Yorkers pride themselves
on being tough...
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We'll ride it out like we ride
all of them out, you know?
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NARRATOR:
...resilient, nonplussed,
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and maybe a little cocky
in the face of adversity.
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MAN:
It's raining here,
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but, um, you know, whatever,
it's a little rain.
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What are you going to do?
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NARRATOR:
But on October 29, 2012...
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This is a record surge of water
rushing over the edge
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of Lower Manhattan.
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NARRATOR:
...they, and their city,
met their match.
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MIKE HERZOG:
My God, it's washing
everything away!
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NARRATOR:
That was the day megastorm Sandy
came rolling into town.
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The storm is on top of us
right now.
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NARRATOR:
It was the biggest,
most devastating storm
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to hit the city
in recorded history.
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Strong winds pushed
a huge wall of ocean water
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14 feet higher than sea level,
onto the coast,
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covering 51 square miles
of the city.
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70,000 homes and apartments
were damaged.
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An entire neighborhood
burned to the ground.
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Utilities failed in spectacular,
massive fashion.
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And 43 people died here,
most of them drowned.
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Sandy brought mighty Gotham
and much of New Jersey
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to their knees.
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As soon as the waters recede,
unsettling questions
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begin to roll in.
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Was Sandy a freak event,
or a window into our future?
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We live in a new era.
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Greenhouse gases
like carbon dioxide
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generated by burning
fossil fuels are building up
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in our atmosphere,
insulating our planet,
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holding in more
of the sun's heat
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and driving the temperature up.
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The Earth's climate is changing.
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No one knows exactly how
that will affect our weather
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day to day.
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But there's one thing
scientists agree on:
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as the Earth and
its oceans heat up,
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warm water takes up
more volume than cold.
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At the same time,
glaciers are melting.
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The result-- sea level around
the world is rising.
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And that means
as the storms come...
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coastal cities are more
and more at risk.
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Climate change will
raise the sea level,
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and sea level will contribute
to the power of flooding.
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NARRATOR:
It's not only
New York and New Jersey
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that are in the crosshairs, but
Miami, New Orleans, Charleston.
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As our sea level
continues to rise,
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it won't take a Hurricane Andrew
or Katrina-size storm
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to create flooding hazards
along our coastline.
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NARRATOR:
Thousands of miles of coastline
all around the world--
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China, India, Japan.
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FLYNN:
We live increasingly
in coastal areas.
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This is screaming at us
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that we need to be
better prepared.
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NARRATOR:
But what can coastal cities do
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to prepare and protect
themselves?
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Can we engineer a solution
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and wall off our cities
from the sea?
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Or are some areas
just too hard to protect,
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and, eventually,
should they be abandoned?
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JACOB:
We have to start to retreat
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from the most exposed
waterfront.
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MICHAEL BLOOMBERG:
As New Yorkers, we cannot
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and we will not abandon
our waterfront.
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It is one of our
greatest assets.
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NARRATOR:
Or is there another way?
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A way to embrace nature's
defenses and the water,
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even as we try to keep it
at bay?
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FLYNN:
Sandy should demand
a national response.
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There but for the grace of God,
it could have been Boston,
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it could have been Seattle.
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It could happen to Houston.
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How are we as a nation
prepared for dealing
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with these kinds of risks?
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And reality is we're not near
as prepared as we need to be.
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NARRATOR:
As Sandy approached, Dan Mundy
knew his home was at risk.
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The retired firefighter
lives in one
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of the most flood-prone
neighborhoods of New York City--
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Broad Channel.
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It's a sliver of an island
in the middle of Jamaica Bay,
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on the southern end of Queens.
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Elevation above sea level:
about four feet.
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MUNDY:
It's very unique
what we have here.
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It's very different.
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People that don't know
and come and visit and see it,
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they say,
"Wow! This is beautiful.
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Look at your views."
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NARRATOR:
Well aware that his home
was in harm's way,
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Dan Mundy built his own
private seawall around it.
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MUNDY:
You can see my bulkhead
out there.
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There's 250 tons of stone.
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NARRATOR:
But the fortress couldn't
hold back Sandy's storm surge.
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MUNDY:
You see how high it is
and how big it is.
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Well, Sandy come
over the top of it.
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It was just unreal.
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This storm, it just went beyond.
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Whatever anybody could do,
it was not enough.
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And, you know, who's to say it
ain't going to happen again?
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NARRATOR:
That's the question
haunting thousands
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whose homes were damaged
or destroyed by the sea.
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Sandy's waves tore
through the Rockaways,
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about five feet
above sea level.
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The Red Hook section
of Brooklyn: eight feet.
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Staten Island:
four feet above sea level.
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Lower Manhattan:
about eight feet at the Battery.
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In New Jersey,
Sandy caused flooding
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from Hoboken to Atlantic City.
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Around the region
and around the world,
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the question is not
if it will happen again,
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00:09:03,451 --> 00:09:05,352
but when, and how often?
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00:09:05,387 --> 00:09:09,223
JACOB:
We know very well
a mean trend where things go.
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The sea level rise
will not go down.
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We know that for sure.
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NARRATOR:
What scientists don't know
for sure
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is how fast it will rise.
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Over the past century,
sea level around New York
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is up about a foot, partly
because of subsiding land.
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But how much will it rise
in the next hundred years?
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That may depend on what happens
here...
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in Greenland...
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where vast masses of ice
are flowing from land to ocean,
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raising the sea level.
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David Holland is trying to crack
the sea level mystery.
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That's what's brought him here
on a hazardous voyage
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though the iceberg-cluttered
waters of Jakobshavn Fjord
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in Greenland.
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They say the iceberg
that sank the Titanic
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came from this breathtaking
and extremely dangerous place.
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HOLLAND:
These things roll.
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And if it rolls,
it will take the ship with it.
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NARRATOR:
Holland is a mathematician,
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and he's here because he doesn't
have much faith in the numbers.
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I would state that
at this moment
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we cannot project
future sea level mathematically.
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We have to be honest
with ourselves.
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We have incomplete knowledge at
the moment and incomplete data.
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NARRATOR:
Some of the data we do have
is disturbing.
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An enormous reservoir
of fresh water is locked up
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in the glaciers here,
at least for now.
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HOLLAND:
If you melted all of Greenland,
then local sea level
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00:10:47,822 --> 00:10:51,658
around the planet
would rise just over 20 feet.
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NARRATOR:
20 feet would submerge more than
a third of the city of New York.
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But no one is predicting that
this will happen anytime soon.
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NARRATOR:
The Greenland glaciers
have been slowly melting
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for thousands of years, since
the end of the last Ice Age.
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But today, with the planet
heating up faster,
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there are ominous signs
that the movement of ice
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from land to sea
might be speeding up.
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David Holland believes
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00:11:22,357 --> 00:11:24,558
the reason lies
not in the warming air,
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but in the water.
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As a glacier slides
off the land,
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00:11:30,165 --> 00:11:32,966
its underside comes into contact
with the seawater.
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In 1997, the ocean currents
changed abruptly,
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00:11:39,541 --> 00:11:43,877
and the water here got warmer by
nearly three degrees Fahrenheit.
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Soon the glacier
started melting much faster.
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00:11:50,151 --> 00:11:55,689
During the 20th century,
it retreated eight miles.
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00:11:55,723 --> 00:11:58,859
But in just the first decade
of the 21st century,
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it receded another nine miles.
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00:12:02,864 --> 00:12:05,466
David Holland is trying
to solve the mystery
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00:12:05,500 --> 00:12:09,686
of why this happened,
and if it could happen again.
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00:12:09,721 --> 00:12:11,872
HOLLAND:
The main thing
we're trying to study is
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00:12:11,906 --> 00:12:14,708
how do warm currents
approach ice sheets?
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00:12:14,742 --> 00:12:16,777
Why is it that sometimes
we see warm water
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00:12:16,811 --> 00:12:18,812
near ice sheets,
and sometimes not?
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00:12:18,847 --> 00:12:21,181
The answer to that question
is ultimately the answer
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00:12:21,216 --> 00:12:23,417
to the future of the sea level.
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00:12:25,153 --> 00:12:27,588
I'm going to start
the next cast.
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00:12:29,157 --> 00:12:31,024
NARRATOR:
To try to find that answer,
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00:12:31,059 --> 00:12:33,026
he repeatedly sends a probe
brimming with instruments
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00:12:33,061 --> 00:12:37,164
below the surface to depths
of 300 feet and more,
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00:12:37,198 --> 00:12:41,201
testing the water's temperature,
oxygen content and salinity.
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00:12:41,236 --> 00:12:45,772
Because all this water
is not created equal.
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00:12:47,275 --> 00:12:49,443
The water near the surface
is less salty,
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00:12:49,477 --> 00:12:52,713
diluted by the fresh water
from the recent glacier melt.
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00:12:52,747 --> 00:12:55,616
Usually cold water sinks.
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00:12:55,650 --> 00:12:57,551
But not in this case.
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00:12:57,585 --> 00:13:02,489
HOLLAND:
Fresh water is light, and it
floats on top of the ocean.
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00:13:02,524 --> 00:13:04,725
NARRATOR:
Below it is the saltier
ocean water
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00:13:04,759 --> 00:13:08,128
that is warmer
than the water above it.
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00:13:08,162 --> 00:13:11,164
Holland has found much of it
comes from the tropics,
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00:13:11,199 --> 00:13:14,334
carried to Greenland
by the Gulf Stream.
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00:13:14,369 --> 00:13:17,337
It eats away at
the glacier's underbelly,
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00:13:17,372 --> 00:13:21,408
eventually causing big pieces
to break off,
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00:13:21,442 --> 00:13:25,279
making more icebergs,
putting more water in the sea.
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00:13:26,848 --> 00:13:28,982
Holland is determined
to discover more
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00:13:29,017 --> 00:13:31,852
about the dynamic between
ice and ocean.
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00:13:34,255 --> 00:13:37,324
So he also submerges probes
for a year...
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00:13:40,228 --> 00:13:43,530
drops some from helicopters...
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00:13:43,565 --> 00:13:49,069
and even attaches sensors
to deep diving seals.
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00:13:49,103 --> 00:13:53,240
Still, they're just pinpricks
of light in a dark void.
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00:13:53,274 --> 00:13:57,311
There is little known about
how glaciers move and melt--
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00:13:57,345 --> 00:14:03,250
not just here in Greenland,
but in Antarctica, too.
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00:14:03,284 --> 00:14:05,485
HOLLAND:
If you melted Antarctica,
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00:14:05,520 --> 00:14:08,455
you would raise
global sea level, say, 200 feet.
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00:14:08,489 --> 00:14:10,624
NARRATOR:
200 feet would flood
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00:14:10,658 --> 00:14:12,759
every city
on the Eastern Seaboard
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00:14:12,794 --> 00:14:14,494
and the Gulf of Mexico.
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00:14:14,529 --> 00:14:19,199
The Florida peninsula
would be long gone.
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00:14:19,233 --> 00:14:20,767
HOLLAND:
That is not going to happen
tomorrow morning.
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00:14:20,802 --> 00:14:25,405
NARRATOR:
The vast majority
of Antarctic ice is stable.
239
00:14:25,440 --> 00:14:29,309
But a few ice sheets in the west
sit on ground below sea level,
240
00:14:29,344 --> 00:14:33,380
making them more vulnerable
to melting.
241
00:14:33,414 --> 00:14:37,818
In 2002, the Larsen B ice shelf,
a floating piece of ice
242
00:14:37,852 --> 00:14:41,021
the size of Rhode Island,
suddenly broke up,
243
00:14:41,055 --> 00:14:46,259
allowing the glacier behind it
to flow faster into the ocean.
244
00:14:46,294 --> 00:14:48,829
David Holland worries
it could happen again
245
00:14:48,863 --> 00:14:51,565
to other glaciers nearby.
246
00:14:51,599 --> 00:14:56,803
HOLLAND:
These areas are enormous,
and warm water is near.
247
00:14:56,838 --> 00:14:59,306
So should warm ocean currents
in the Southern Hemisphere
248
00:14:59,340 --> 00:15:03,644
reach to these glaciers,
all hell could break loose.
249
00:15:03,678 --> 00:15:08,248
NARRATOR:
With so many unknowns,
the current official estimate
250
00:15:08,282 --> 00:15:11,318
for sea level rise
ranges from two to five feet
251
00:15:11,352 --> 00:15:13,453
over the next century.
252
00:15:13,488 --> 00:15:16,356
But David Holland thinks
that if we want to protect
253
00:15:16,391 --> 00:15:19,693
coastal cities, we should be
prepared for much more.
254
00:15:19,727 --> 00:15:21,128
HOLLAND:
If you were to say to me,
255
00:15:21,162 --> 00:15:23,497
"For the next hundred years,
I want to be conservative
256
00:15:23,531 --> 00:15:25,132
and protect things,"
257
00:15:25,166 --> 00:15:27,567
I would build walls
three meters, ten feet.
258
00:15:32,607 --> 00:15:34,875
NARRATOR:
When it comes
to flood protection,
259
00:15:34,909 --> 00:15:38,645
Holland knows firsthand some of
the dangers of building too low.
260
00:15:38,680 --> 00:15:39,980
HOLLAND:
Is it sinking?
261
00:15:40,014 --> 00:15:41,782
NARRATOR:
Because when he's not
investigating the glaciers
262
00:15:41,816 --> 00:15:46,820
of Greenland, he lives here,
in the heart of Manhattan.
263
00:15:48,823 --> 00:15:51,458
When Sandy struck,
he and his wife Denise
264
00:15:51,492 --> 00:15:54,561
were high and dry
in their apartment.
265
00:15:54,595 --> 00:16:03,136
And then the lights went out...
and stayed out for five days.
266
00:16:03,171 --> 00:16:06,339
There was no power,
no heat, no water.
267
00:16:06,374 --> 00:16:08,408
HOLLAND:
It was surreal,
268
00:16:08,443 --> 00:16:11,278
the concept that this major
city, Manhattan,
269
00:16:11,312 --> 00:16:14,781
with this massive infrastructure
could be brought to its knees
270
00:16:14,816 --> 00:16:16,483
by a storm.
271
00:16:16,517 --> 00:16:18,585
It was just chaos.
272
00:16:18,619 --> 00:16:21,922
NARRATOR:
The Hollands were among
the quarter million New Yorkers
273
00:16:21,956 --> 00:16:26,493
who were in the dark because
of this spectacular event.
274
00:16:31,566 --> 00:16:33,867
The Consolidated
Edison power substation
275
00:16:33,901 --> 00:16:38,672
sits at the end of 14th Street,
right next to the East River,
276
00:16:38,840 --> 00:16:41,208
about six feet above sea level.
277
00:16:41,242 --> 00:16:43,110
Water and electricity
does not mix, obviously.
278
00:16:44,879 --> 00:16:47,280
NARRATOR:
Most of the electricity
for Lower Manhattan
279
00:16:47,315 --> 00:16:49,983
flows through these transformers
and relays,
280
00:16:50,017 --> 00:16:53,353
as long as they're not
under water.
281
00:16:53,387 --> 00:16:56,123
For over 50 years,
the 11-foot-high floodwalls
282
00:16:56,157 --> 00:17:00,193
worked just fine,
until Sandy's storm surge
283
00:17:00,228 --> 00:17:04,865
pushed 14 feet of water over
the banks of the East River.
284
00:17:04,899 --> 00:17:07,534
Our hundred-year flood design
was down here.
285
00:17:07,568 --> 00:17:09,536
And the waters were coming
over this capstan.
286
00:17:09,570 --> 00:17:12,806
NARRATOR:
The flash point was a
circuit breaker that shorted out
287
00:17:12,840 --> 00:17:14,741
after the salt water rushed in.
288
00:17:14,776 --> 00:17:17,944
SCHIMMENTI:
That breaker was
at a lower elevation.
289
00:17:17,979 --> 00:17:20,530
And as the water
started to rise,
290
00:17:20,565 --> 00:17:22,082
that breaker flashed over
291
00:17:22,116 --> 00:17:25,619
and then caused a subsequent
failure at the transformer.
292
00:17:25,653 --> 00:17:28,288
And so then you saw
this big flash of light.
293
00:17:31,793 --> 00:17:33,343
Then there was
a cascading failure
294
00:17:33,394 --> 00:17:35,729
because of the other relays.
295
00:17:35,763 --> 00:17:37,364
And then the station
ended up being shut down.
296
00:17:40,601 --> 00:17:43,503
NARRATOR:
ConEd is determined
to keep this station dry
297
00:17:43,538 --> 00:17:46,673
whenever the next
megastorm hits.
298
00:17:46,707 --> 00:17:50,944
They're building
about 180 aluminum doors
299
00:17:50,978 --> 00:17:55,415
to plug any holes in the
substation's protective ring.
300
00:17:55,449 --> 00:17:57,217
SCHIMMENTI:
So if the same event occurred
301
00:17:57,251 --> 00:17:59,486
and the same
storm surge occurred,
302
00:17:59,520 --> 00:18:03,123
there'd be no customers out
in Manhattan.
303
00:18:03,157 --> 00:18:05,659
NARRATOR:
And beneath the sidewalks
all across the city,
304
00:18:05,693 --> 00:18:09,396
workers are installing
waterproof equipment.
305
00:18:09,430 --> 00:18:11,865
Everything in this hole, even
if you submerge it under water,
306
00:18:11,899 --> 00:18:12,933
it is all submergible equipment.
307
00:18:12,967 --> 00:18:14,768
If it's underwater,
it will still operate normally.
308
00:18:14,802 --> 00:18:18,638
NARRATOR:
And they're deploying
more smart grid technology
309
00:18:18,673 --> 00:18:23,176
that can be monitored remotely
and reduce power outages.
310
00:18:23,211 --> 00:18:25,011
SCHIMMENTI:
What we'll do over the long term
311
00:18:25,046 --> 00:18:28,315
is work with the latest
climate science
312
00:18:28,349 --> 00:18:31,218
so that we're further protected
in the future.
313
00:18:31,252 --> 00:18:34,821
NARRATOR:
The electrical grid
is just one piece
314
00:18:34,856 --> 00:18:38,491
of the vast infrastructure
clobbered by megastorm Sandy.
315
00:18:41,128 --> 00:18:44,397
On the West Side of Manhattan,
the phone company Verizon
316
00:18:44,432 --> 00:18:48,335
also got a climate change
wakeup call.
317
00:18:48,369 --> 00:18:50,303
CHRIS LEVENDOS:
The impact of Hurricane Sandy
318
00:18:50,338 --> 00:18:54,274
to Verizon was
the largest impact
319
00:18:54,308 --> 00:18:58,111
to our wireline infrastructure
in our 100-year history.
320
00:18:58,145 --> 00:19:02,515
NARRATOR:
Verizon world headquarters
sits at 140 West Street,
321
00:19:02,550 --> 00:19:05,385
about 250 yards
from the Hudson River,
322
00:19:05,419 --> 00:19:08,321
about five and a half feet
above sea level.
323
00:19:08,356 --> 00:19:12,559
The ornate Art Deco lobby
is normally gilded and gleaming,
324
00:19:12,593 --> 00:19:16,062
but the night Sandy roared in,
it was not
325
00:19:16,097 --> 00:19:17,497
such a pretty picture.
326
00:19:19,734 --> 00:19:21,635
LEVENDOS:
We had water come in
327
00:19:21,669 --> 00:19:25,705
through the front
and rear doors of the building.
328
00:19:25,740 --> 00:19:28,575
And then water gets
into the elevator shafts,
329
00:19:28,609 --> 00:19:31,711
down the stair walls,
and begins to fill up
330
00:19:31,746 --> 00:19:34,881
the five sub-basements
of this building.
331
00:19:36,851 --> 00:19:39,452
NARRATOR:
In the basement is the vault
332
00:19:39,487 --> 00:19:41,888
where Verizon keeps
its crown jewels--
333
00:19:41,923 --> 00:19:44,925
telephone cables,
most of them copper,
334
00:19:44,959 --> 00:19:49,963
the wires that connect
their landline phone customers.
335
00:19:49,997 --> 00:19:54,401
Bad enough, but below the vault
is a pump system
336
00:19:54,435 --> 00:19:58,238
that delivers diesel fuel
to the emergency generators
337
00:19:58,272 --> 00:20:00,307
on the tenth floor.
338
00:20:00,341 --> 00:20:04,844
But the pump was not waterproof.
339
00:20:04,879 --> 00:20:08,949
When it failed,
the dominoes started falling.
340
00:20:08,983 --> 00:20:12,018
No pump, no power.
341
00:20:12,053 --> 00:20:15,388
No power, and these crucial
machines stop working--
342
00:20:15,423 --> 00:20:18,058
air compressors.
343
00:20:18,092 --> 00:20:21,428
Verizon pumps air
into its copper cables
344
00:20:21,462 --> 00:20:23,897
to keep water from seeping in.
345
00:20:23,931 --> 00:20:28,868
Water, especially seawater,
destroys copper.
346
00:20:28,903 --> 00:20:32,238
LEVENDOS:
The network was
completely destroyed
347
00:20:32,273 --> 00:20:35,208
with one massive storm
in one very destructive night.
348
00:20:36,811 --> 00:20:39,779
NARRATOR:
The loss of that pump
was a crucial failure
349
00:20:39,814 --> 00:20:42,549
in a night filled
with catastrophic damage
350
00:20:42,583 --> 00:20:45,719
due to relentless flooding.
351
00:20:45,753 --> 00:20:48,722
By morning, the land-based
phone lines in Lower Manhattan
352
00:20:48,756 --> 00:20:52,959
were almost totally wiped out,
right in the financial capital
353
00:20:52,994 --> 00:20:54,160
of America.
354
00:20:57,565 --> 00:21:00,166
But there was,
literally and figuratively,
355
00:21:00,201 --> 00:21:03,870
one glimmer of light
amid the unimaginable mess.
356
00:21:03,904 --> 00:21:08,942
Fiber optic cables,
long, thin strands of glass
357
00:21:08,976 --> 00:21:12,479
that transmit voice and data
with bursts of light,
358
00:21:12,513 --> 00:21:15,682
are far more efficient
than copper wires.
359
00:21:15,716 --> 00:21:19,586
And best of all,
they're impervious to water.
360
00:21:19,620 --> 00:21:22,522
After Sandy,
the company immediately
361
00:21:22,556 --> 00:21:25,158
started replacing
its entire copper wire network
362
00:21:25,192 --> 00:21:27,127
in Lower Manhattan with fiber.
363
00:21:27,161 --> 00:21:29,896
The changeover was
supposed to take years.
364
00:21:29,930 --> 00:21:32,499
Verizon did it in six months.
365
00:21:32,533 --> 00:21:38,971
In all, Sandy cost Verizon
about $1 billion.
366
00:21:38,973 --> 00:21:41,273
And that crucial fuel pump?
367
00:21:41,275 --> 00:21:46,679
It's now in a watertight room
with a submarine door.
368
00:21:51,886 --> 00:21:55,422
Protecting New York's vulnerable
and venerable subway system
369
00:21:55,456 --> 00:21:58,191
may be the biggest challenge
of all.
370
00:21:58,225 --> 00:22:02,862
Sandy caused about
$5 billion worth of harm
371
00:22:02,897 --> 00:22:06,232
to the nation's largest
transit system.
372
00:22:07,701 --> 00:22:10,570
Hardest hit,
South Ferry Station,
373
00:22:10,604 --> 00:22:13,473
at the southern tip
of Manhattan.
374
00:22:13,507 --> 00:22:16,342
The station was
only three years old,
375
00:22:16,377 --> 00:22:20,580
built at a cost of $550 million.
376
00:22:20,614 --> 00:22:26,453
The day after Sandy,
it lay in ruins.
377
00:22:26,487 --> 00:22:28,822
One of the culprits
is believed to be
378
00:22:28,856 --> 00:22:32,325
this bundle of lumber, 2x8s.
379
00:22:32,359 --> 00:22:34,694
After becoming flotsam
in the roiling seas,
380
00:22:34,728 --> 00:22:37,030
it tore through
the makeshift barrier
381
00:22:37,064 --> 00:22:39,432
workers had erected
at the station's entrance
382
00:22:39,467 --> 00:22:41,468
as Sandy approached.
383
00:22:41,502 --> 00:22:43,436
JOE LEADER:
It was probably
like a battering ram.
384
00:22:43,471 --> 00:22:45,271
When that wave effect came
in the surges,
385
00:22:45,306 --> 00:22:46,539
it probably just blew
right through,
386
00:22:46,541 --> 00:22:47,774
I mean, and that was it.
387
00:22:47,808 --> 00:22:50,043
Where it came from, nobody
knows; I don't want to say.
388
00:22:50,077 --> 00:22:51,911
I don't want to give Jersey
a bad name.
389
00:22:51,946 --> 00:22:53,046
But it came from somewhere.
390
00:22:54,381 --> 00:22:56,216
NARRATOR:
More than 60 million
gallons of seawater
391
00:22:56,250 --> 00:23:02,422
came rushing in, filling the
station almost to street level.
392
00:23:02,456 --> 00:23:05,125
LEADER:
You try and prevent it,
you try and deter it, you know,
393
00:23:05,159 --> 00:23:06,593
and that's the best thing
you can do.
394
00:23:06,627 --> 00:23:09,262
But can you really
actually stop it?
395
00:23:09,296 --> 00:23:11,231
NARRATOR:
It was not for lack of trying.
396
00:23:11,265 --> 00:23:13,666
As Sandy bore down on the city,
397
00:23:13,701 --> 00:23:16,569
transit workers frantically
fought to stem the tide
398
00:23:16,604 --> 00:23:22,742
with inflatable dams,
sandbags and plywood.
399
00:23:22,776 --> 00:23:24,878
But there was no stopping
the water.
400
00:23:26,814 --> 00:23:33,153
Subway stations, railyards
and nine tunnels flooded.
401
00:23:33,187 --> 00:23:35,421
Water was coming
from everywhere.
402
00:23:35,456 --> 00:23:37,590
There was no way of stopping it.
403
00:23:37,625 --> 00:23:40,026
You needed Superman,
I guess.
404
00:23:40,060 --> 00:23:42,128
NARRATOR:
At the Hugh Carey
Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel,
405
00:23:42,163 --> 00:23:43,963
which normally carries
cars and trucks
406
00:23:43,998 --> 00:23:45,832
between Brooklyn
and Lower Manhattan,
407
00:23:45,866 --> 00:23:47,634
there was little
they could do.
408
00:23:47,668 --> 00:23:49,235
We abandoned the place.
409
00:23:49,270 --> 00:23:51,471
We basically pulled
everybody out of here.
410
00:23:51,505 --> 00:23:53,373
Marc, come on,
we've got to go!
411
00:23:53,407 --> 00:23:56,042
NARRATOR:
80 million gallons of seawater
gushed in.
412
00:23:56,076 --> 00:24:00,180
The tunnel was practically full.
413
00:24:04,952 --> 00:24:07,353
Work crews managed
to clean it up.
414
00:24:07,388 --> 00:24:11,057
They removed the ceiling tiles
and replaced enough lighting,
415
00:24:11,091 --> 00:24:13,993
cameras and communications gear
to reopen the tunnel
416
00:24:14,028 --> 00:24:18,364
just two weeks after the storm.
417
00:24:18,399 --> 00:24:20,433
But there are years
of work ahead
418
00:24:20,467 --> 00:24:23,303
to get things back
to their pre-Sandy condition.
419
00:24:26,507 --> 00:24:29,776
Ten months after Sandy hit,
engineers tested
420
00:24:29,810 --> 00:24:32,979
a water-filled emergency dam
that might offer
421
00:24:33,013 --> 00:24:35,582
a layer of defense
for the tunnel the next time.
422
00:24:36,850 --> 00:24:39,319
They are also
considering this idea
423
00:24:39,353 --> 00:24:44,490
from West Virginia University--
an inflatable plug.
424
00:24:44,525 --> 00:24:48,928
In the meantime, carpenters
have erected this plywood wall
425
00:24:48,963 --> 00:24:51,998
at the low point,
where the water gushed in.
426
00:24:52,032 --> 00:24:56,636
But in the long run,
will plywood and inflatables
427
00:24:56,670 --> 00:24:59,172
and other small-scale changes
be enough
428
00:24:59,206 --> 00:25:01,241
to protect this metropolis?
429
00:25:01,275 --> 00:25:03,643
LEADER:
If I made this airtight
430
00:25:03,677 --> 00:25:06,546
and we did not allow the 66
million gallons of water
431
00:25:06,580 --> 00:25:09,015
that we pumped out
to come into our system,
432
00:25:09,049 --> 00:25:10,250
where would that water be?
433
00:25:10,284 --> 00:25:14,153
It would be in the streets,
and would be in the basements,
434
00:25:14,188 --> 00:25:17,490
and on the first floors of all
the buildings surrounding.
435
00:25:17,524 --> 00:25:19,425
So it's more than just us
preventing the water
436
00:25:19,460 --> 00:25:21,027
to come out.
437
00:25:21,061 --> 00:25:23,196
It's got to be a really
regional issue to decide,
438
00:25:23,230 --> 00:25:26,466
how do you deal
with something like that?
439
00:25:30,504 --> 00:25:32,605
NARRATOR:
In the face
of rising sea levels,
440
00:25:32,640 --> 00:25:36,643
how can an entire region
be protected?
441
00:25:36,677 --> 00:25:38,611
With the threat
growing every day,
442
00:25:38,646 --> 00:25:41,948
experts are looking for answers
in a place all too familiar
443
00:25:41,982 --> 00:25:46,753
with the war against water--
the Netherlands.
444
00:25:46,787 --> 00:25:52,025
The name itself says it all,
"The Low Lands."
445
00:25:52,059 --> 00:25:54,260
Built on a swampy delta,
446
00:25:54,295 --> 00:25:59,599
much of the country lies
below sea level.
447
00:25:59,633 --> 00:26:02,201
You really wonder why
people settled here at all.
448
00:26:02,236 --> 00:26:04,937
This must have been
such an uninhabitable,
449
00:26:04,972 --> 00:26:07,106
inhospitable place.
450
00:26:07,141 --> 00:26:10,476
It's a very soggy delta.
451
00:26:10,511 --> 00:26:12,779
NARRATOR:
That's what these are for.
452
00:26:12,813 --> 00:26:15,481
Windmills are essentially pumps.
453
00:26:15,516 --> 00:26:17,016
PETER PAUL KLAPWYK:
If the sails turn,
454
00:26:17,051 --> 00:26:19,052
the wheel will turn.
455
00:26:19,086 --> 00:26:24,724
This will start spinning,
and the screw gets turned.
456
00:26:24,758 --> 00:26:29,429
NARRATOR:
A giant Archimedean screw lifts
the water out of the floodplain.
457
00:26:29,463 --> 00:26:31,964
In 1450, when they
were introduced,
458
00:26:31,999 --> 00:26:35,301
this enabled us
to live in areas
459
00:26:35,336 --> 00:26:37,136
where before we couldn't live.
460
00:26:41,108 --> 00:26:47,413
NARRATOR:
And then, of course,
there are the dikes, or levees--
461
00:26:47,448 --> 00:26:50,450
massive walls usually
made of earth,
462
00:26:50,484 --> 00:26:53,586
built to hold back
flood waters.
463
00:26:55,189 --> 00:26:57,357
So really that's what
the Dutch have been doing
464
00:26:57,391 --> 00:26:59,559
for a long time,
is defending their country
465
00:26:59,593 --> 00:27:01,561
from the water, and defending
also implies
466
00:27:01,595 --> 00:27:04,764
the feeling of the water
as an enemy.
467
00:27:06,567 --> 00:27:12,372
NARRATOR:
In the winter of 1953,
the enemy got the upper hand.
468
00:27:12,406 --> 00:27:16,209
A violent storm blew in
from the North Sea.
469
00:27:16,243 --> 00:27:22,215
It was their Sandy
and Katrina combined.
470
00:27:27,020 --> 00:27:30,990
METZ:
In one night, over 1,800 people
lost their lives.
471
00:27:31,024 --> 00:27:34,494
Several hundred thousand
lost their houses.
472
00:27:34,528 --> 00:27:36,929
About a million animals drowned.
473
00:27:38,265 --> 00:27:41,501
JOS GELUK:
My family knows what it is
474
00:27:41,535 --> 00:27:43,436
when your house is blown away
by the water.
475
00:27:43,470 --> 00:27:45,805
And after that flood, we said,
476
00:27:45,839 --> 00:27:47,273
"Well, this may never
happen again."
477
00:27:47,307 --> 00:27:53,079
And that was the reason
for designing the Delta program.
478
00:27:53,113 --> 00:27:56,149
NARRATOR:
Jos Geluk is an engineer
for the Delta program,
479
00:27:56,183 --> 00:27:59,652
or Delta Works, the massive
flood protection system
480
00:27:59,686 --> 00:28:01,821
launched in the wake
of the '53 flood.
481
00:28:01,855 --> 00:28:06,259
In addition to a reinforced
system of dams and dikes,
482
00:28:06,293 --> 00:28:08,928
locks and levees,
the Dutch added what they hoped
483
00:28:08,962 --> 00:28:12,698
would be the ultimate weapons
in water defense--
484
00:28:12,733 --> 00:28:14,434
enormous storm surge barriers
485
00:28:14,468 --> 00:28:17,170
across the mouths of rivers
and estuaries.
486
00:28:17,204 --> 00:28:20,306
Protecting Rotterdam Harbor
are two giant gates,
487
00:28:20,340 --> 00:28:23,743
together bigger than
the Empire State Building,
488
00:28:23,777 --> 00:28:28,781
designed to swing shut
if the North Sea threatens.
489
00:28:28,816 --> 00:28:33,619
And bigger still,
50 miles southwest of Rotterdam,
490
00:28:33,654 --> 00:28:35,822
a five-and-a-half-mile long
storm surge barrier
491
00:28:35,856 --> 00:28:40,326
with 62 doors, ready to close
at the push of a button.
492
00:28:46,733 --> 00:28:49,502
GELUK:
We designed
on a chance of flooding
493
00:28:49,536 --> 00:28:51,904
of once in 4,000 years.
494
00:28:51,939 --> 00:28:55,107
NARRATOR:
If New York City wants
to stay dry
495
00:28:55,142 --> 00:28:59,479
in a world with rising seas,
should structures like these
496
00:28:59,513 --> 00:29:01,447
be part of the plan?
497
00:29:01,482 --> 00:29:03,749
GELUK:
I think more and more
498
00:29:03,784 --> 00:29:07,954
the Americans become aware
of the threat of the water,
499
00:29:07,988 --> 00:29:11,491
and they will spend money on
protecting against the water.
500
00:29:11,525 --> 00:29:15,294
JEROEN AERTS:
As a Dutchman, you are
quite surprised to see
501
00:29:15,329 --> 00:29:18,598
a large city like New York,
so many people exposed,
502
00:29:18,632 --> 00:29:21,601
and no levees, no protection
at all... was astonishing to me.
503
00:29:24,972 --> 00:29:28,841
NARRATOR:
Jeroen Aerts is a professor
of risk and water management
504
00:29:28,876 --> 00:29:30,910
in Amsterdam.
505
00:29:30,944 --> 00:29:34,213
Like many of his colleagues
here, he is a big believer
506
00:29:34,248 --> 00:29:37,817
in big structures
to keep the water out.
507
00:29:37,851 --> 00:29:40,853
He thinks New Yorkers
should think
508
00:29:40,888 --> 00:29:44,190
about walling themselves off
from future megastorms.
509
00:29:44,224 --> 00:29:46,058
Don't rule out yet
the barriers,
510
00:29:46,093 --> 00:29:47,927
because if sea level
is going to rise very quickly,
511
00:29:47,961 --> 00:29:49,362
then you need a barrier.
512
00:29:49,396 --> 00:29:52,732
NARRATOR:
But with so many inlets
for the sea to flow through,
513
00:29:52,766 --> 00:29:55,968
one barrier would never
be enough to protect New York
514
00:29:56,003 --> 00:29:57,036
and New Jersey.
515
00:29:57,070 --> 00:30:00,072
The region would need to build
an elaborate ring
516
00:30:00,107 --> 00:30:03,676
of strategically located
barriers to fend off flooding
517
00:30:03,710 --> 00:30:07,613
from rising seas
and worsening storms.
518
00:30:07,648 --> 00:30:10,016
One scheme imagines
a huge structure
519
00:30:10,050 --> 00:30:12,919
at the Verrazano Narrows,
which separates Staten Island
520
00:30:12,953 --> 00:30:14,820
and Brooklyn.
521
00:30:14,855 --> 00:30:18,157
The concept is a hybrid
of two Dutch designs--
522
00:30:18,191 --> 00:30:20,293
the giant barrier
with the gates,
523
00:30:20,327 --> 00:30:24,497
and the huge swinging doors.
524
00:30:24,531 --> 00:30:27,967
Another idea is
even more ambitious--
525
00:30:28,001 --> 00:30:30,536
a five-mile-long
storm surge barrier
526
00:30:30,571 --> 00:30:33,239
that would span from
Sandy Hook, New Jersey,
527
00:30:33,273 --> 00:30:35,741
to the Rockaway Peninsula
in New York.
528
00:30:35,776 --> 00:30:40,780
Engineer Jonathan Goldstick
would love to build it,
529
00:30:40,814 --> 00:30:44,317
though he admits
Fortress New York would cost
530
00:30:44,351 --> 00:30:47,653
tens of billions of dollars.
531
00:30:47,688 --> 00:30:50,389
GOLDSTICK:
The cost benefit analysis
is tricky.
532
00:30:50,424 --> 00:30:57,930
But it's a very good return, and
it really keeps the water out.
533
00:30:57,965 --> 00:31:03,302
NARRATOR:
As sea levels continue rising,
at some point in the future,
534
00:31:03,337 --> 00:31:08,674
even barriers like this
won't be high enough.
535
00:31:08,709 --> 00:31:12,044
GOLDSTICK:
What the barrier should do
is provide us
536
00:31:12,079 --> 00:31:14,780
with a relatively short-term
option for protection
537
00:31:14,815 --> 00:31:17,750
while we implement a plan
that gets the city ready
538
00:31:17,784 --> 00:31:21,120
for future higher
sea level rises.
539
00:31:21,154 --> 00:31:25,124
If I were king of New York,
I would build it.
540
00:31:26,493 --> 00:31:29,395
NARRATOR:
But if billions are spent
on colossal barriers,
541
00:31:29,429 --> 00:31:33,933
will New Yorkers be left
with a false sense of security?
542
00:31:33,967 --> 00:31:36,902
And might that delay action
on the crucial question
543
00:31:36,937 --> 00:31:40,606
of how and where to build?
544
00:31:40,641 --> 00:31:46,445
KLAUS JACOB:
It looks like, "Wow, there's
this incredible benefit."
545
00:31:46,480 --> 00:31:49,448
But essentially, we have delayed
the problem.
546
00:31:52,653 --> 00:31:55,187
NARRATOR:
Even in the short term,
giant barriers can cause
547
00:31:55,222 --> 00:31:57,423
huge problems.
548
00:31:57,457 --> 00:31:59,659
Just ask the Dutch.
549
00:31:59,693 --> 00:32:01,861
There were a lot
of unintended consequences.
550
00:32:01,895 --> 00:32:04,430
It's turned out
that a lot of this intervention
551
00:32:04,464 --> 00:32:08,333
to keep the water out
has had a detrimental effect
552
00:32:08,335 --> 00:32:09,902
on the country's ecology.
553
00:32:09,936 --> 00:32:14,106
NARRATOR:
Behind the permanent sea walls,
they created stagnant lakes
554
00:32:14,141 --> 00:32:16,909
that are plagued
by noxious algae blooms.
555
00:32:22,082 --> 00:32:24,550
The doors on the giant
storm surge barrier
556
00:32:24,584 --> 00:32:27,286
were added
to address that problem.
557
00:32:27,320 --> 00:32:30,756
But even with the doors open,
the permanent barrier structures
558
00:32:30,791 --> 00:32:33,893
and manmade islands
reduce the ebb and flow
559
00:32:33,927 --> 00:32:35,428
of the tides by 30%.
560
00:32:35,462 --> 00:32:39,131
Precious little sediment
flows in.
561
00:32:39,166 --> 00:32:43,736
As a result, the estuary's
sandbars, wetlands
562
00:32:43,770 --> 00:32:46,572
and oyster beds
are disappearing,
563
00:32:46,606 --> 00:32:48,741
taking with them
the natural flood protection
564
00:32:48,775 --> 00:32:50,976
they used to provide.
565
00:32:51,011 --> 00:32:52,445
This is really
one of the reasons
566
00:32:52,479 --> 00:32:55,147
that the Dutch are moving
now towards a new approach
567
00:32:55,182 --> 00:32:58,851
to dealing with water
and trying to intervene less.
568
00:33:02,022 --> 00:33:04,990
NARRATOR:
The reality is,
the quest to control
569
00:33:05,025 --> 00:33:10,029
big bodies of water almost
always produces big problems.
570
00:33:11,798 --> 00:33:15,267
And nowhere is that more obvious
than in the heart of America,
571
00:33:15,302 --> 00:33:17,703
on the mighty Mississippi.
572
00:33:17,738 --> 00:33:22,208
Since the 19th century,
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
573
00:33:22,242 --> 00:33:25,077
has been on a mission
to prevent flooding
574
00:33:25,112 --> 00:33:30,349
and keep the river in its place
with big reinforced levees
575
00:33:30,383 --> 00:33:34,053
and giant articulated
concrete mats
576
00:33:34,087 --> 00:33:36,822
laid along the banks
to prevent erosion.
577
00:33:38,391 --> 00:33:41,127
DENISE REED:
What we did in the 20th century
578
00:33:41,161 --> 00:33:45,231
was we really isolated the river
from its delta plain.
579
00:33:45,265 --> 00:33:47,399
Then we decided
that we really needed
580
00:33:47,434 --> 00:33:49,869
to essentially
eliminate flooding
581
00:33:49,903 --> 00:33:52,204
from the Mississippi River
under most circumstances.
582
00:33:54,474 --> 00:33:57,810
NARRATOR:
Geomorphologist Denise Reed
understands that rivers
583
00:33:57,844 --> 00:33:59,545
are meant to flood.
584
00:33:59,579 --> 00:34:01,213
That's why here
in bayou country,
585
00:34:01,248 --> 00:34:06,018
south of New Orleans,
she lives in a house on stilts.
586
00:34:06,052 --> 00:34:08,954
One of Reed's biggest worries
587
00:34:08,989 --> 00:34:11,624
is that in our fight to stop
flooding, we've essentially
588
00:34:11,658 --> 00:34:16,128
turned the river
into a giant concrete pipe.
589
00:34:16,163 --> 00:34:19,632
REED:
The sediment that comes out
of the end of the Mississippi
590
00:34:19,666 --> 00:34:22,535
comes out of that long pipe
that we've made.
591
00:34:22,569 --> 00:34:25,704
That essentially drops down
into fairly deep water.
592
00:34:25,739 --> 00:34:27,940
That's not the way
it used to work.
593
00:34:27,974 --> 00:34:30,476
NARRATOR:
The way it worked
for thousands of years
594
00:34:30,510 --> 00:34:33,846
allowed sediment to spread out
at the mouth of the river,
595
00:34:33,880 --> 00:34:38,784
creating the vast wetlands and
swamps of the Mississippi Delta.
596
00:34:38,819 --> 00:34:43,355
But today, the delta
is starved of sediment.
597
00:34:43,390 --> 00:34:47,259
As a result, every 40 minutes
or so, an area of marsh
598
00:34:47,294 --> 00:34:50,663
the size of a football field
vanishes.
599
00:34:50,697 --> 00:34:53,666
REED:
It's almost like
a Swiss cheese effect.
600
00:34:53,700 --> 00:34:56,235
We've lost, I guess,
since the 1930s,
601
00:34:56,269 --> 00:34:58,170
an area the size of Delaware.
602
00:34:58,205 --> 00:35:01,106
That's a pretty large area.
603
00:35:03,543 --> 00:35:05,845
NARRATOR:
Those vanishing
wetlands and marshes
604
00:35:05,879 --> 00:35:09,615
are nature's best defense
against a storm,
605
00:35:09,649 --> 00:35:11,984
acting like giant speed bumps
606
00:35:12,018 --> 00:35:15,588
for waves surging in
from the sea.
607
00:35:15,622 --> 00:35:20,359
In the world of water control,
they're known as soft defenses.
608
00:35:20,393 --> 00:35:22,461
REED:
So imagine the storm surge
coming in.
609
00:35:22,495 --> 00:35:26,198
Instead of moving across
a very smooth sandy bottom,
610
00:35:26,233 --> 00:35:28,267
it's moving across
a rough surface.
611
00:35:28,301 --> 00:35:31,203
And that really starts
to take some of the energy out
612
00:35:31,238 --> 00:35:33,205
and slow down the storm surge.
613
00:35:33,240 --> 00:35:35,641
NARRATOR:
But by how much?
614
00:35:35,675 --> 00:35:39,078
To try and find an answer,
the Corps of Engineers
615
00:35:39,112 --> 00:35:43,415
is using a complex model that
runs on this supercomputer.
616
00:35:43,450 --> 00:35:47,586
Hydraulic engineer
Jane McKee Smith has simulated
617
00:35:47,621 --> 00:35:49,154
a typical storm
618
00:35:49,189 --> 00:35:52,424
without the benefit of the
wetlands that exist today
619
00:35:52,459 --> 00:35:54,793
near New Orleans.
620
00:35:54,828 --> 00:35:57,830
You get larger storm surge and
bigger waves hitting the area.
621
00:35:57,864 --> 00:35:59,064
And certainly if you look back
622
00:35:59,099 --> 00:36:02,167
the way they were hundreds
of years ago, you would see
623
00:36:02,202 --> 00:36:04,670
a protective benefit
from those wetlands.
624
00:36:04,704 --> 00:36:07,139
So it's a very big issue.
625
00:36:07,173 --> 00:36:10,809
REED:
And if they continue to degrade,
then clearly
626
00:36:10,844 --> 00:36:14,446
the city of New Orleans
is not going to be protected
627
00:36:14,481 --> 00:36:15,915
the way we think it is now.
628
00:36:19,219 --> 00:36:22,821
NARRATOR:
New Orleans sits right in the
midst of the Mississippi Delta.
629
00:36:22,856 --> 00:36:26,592
Today, the city is regaining
its swagger,
630
00:36:26,626 --> 00:36:32,498
in part thanks to this--
133 miles of new surge barriers,
631
00:36:32,532 --> 00:36:36,902
levees, floodwalls,
gated structures
632
00:36:36,937 --> 00:36:39,271
and pumping stations
that now ring the city.
633
00:36:43,343 --> 00:36:48,714
The $14.5 billion project,
the epitome of hard defenses,
634
00:36:48,748 --> 00:36:50,849
was built
by the Corps of Engineers
635
00:36:50,884 --> 00:36:53,652
in the wake
of Hurricane Katrina.
636
00:36:53,687 --> 00:36:55,387
We moved the perimeter outward.
637
00:36:55,422 --> 00:36:58,023
And so, in some ways, you know,
we took the fight out
638
00:36:58,058 --> 00:36:59,391
to the storm surge
639
00:36:59,426 --> 00:37:02,061
instead of letting the storm
surge come into the city.
640
00:37:05,465 --> 00:37:08,100
NARRATOR:
In August of 2012,
641
00:37:08,134 --> 00:37:12,137
Hurricane Isaac gave
the hard defense system
642
00:37:12,172 --> 00:37:14,907
its first big test.
643
00:37:14,941 --> 00:37:17,076
The storm brought
80-mile-an-hour winds
644
00:37:17,110 --> 00:37:22,348
and a surge that was only
two feet lower than Katrina.
645
00:37:24,584 --> 00:37:29,088
This time the city
did not flood.
646
00:37:29,122 --> 00:37:34,293
But Denise Reed worries
that if things don't change,
647
00:37:34,327 --> 00:37:38,530
this low-lying city
will not be safe for long.
648
00:37:38,565 --> 00:37:41,400
REED:
If we have a city
behind a levee
649
00:37:41,434 --> 00:37:43,936
and just open water
on the other side,
650
00:37:43,970 --> 00:37:47,272
I don't think anybody thinks
that is as good a condition
651
00:37:47,307 --> 00:37:49,575
as having a city and a levee
652
00:37:49,609 --> 00:37:52,311
and extensive wetlands
on the other side.
653
00:37:54,714 --> 00:37:56,181
NARRATOR:
To make matters worse,
654
00:37:56,216 --> 00:38:00,085
scientists say the city
and the wetlands are sinking,
655
00:38:00,120 --> 00:38:01,787
or subsiding.
656
00:38:01,821 --> 00:38:04,890
The state of Louisiana
is fighting back,
657
00:38:04,924 --> 00:38:08,327
pumping millions of tons of sand
onto barrier islands
658
00:38:08,361 --> 00:38:10,529
and decimated marshes.
659
00:38:10,563 --> 00:38:15,134
The goal-- engineering
a solution that replicates
660
00:38:15,168 --> 00:38:19,471
the way nature disperses
that famous Mississippi mud.
661
00:38:22,742 --> 00:38:27,513
So, can New York find a balance
662
00:38:27,547 --> 00:38:29,515
between hard barriers
and soft defenses?
663
00:38:29,549 --> 00:38:33,485
We're going to pull up the ropes
and check them out.
664
00:38:33,520 --> 00:38:38,824
NARRATOR:
Landscape architect Kate Orff
prefers the soft approach.
665
00:38:38,858 --> 00:38:40,292
This is a typical blue mussel
666
00:38:40,326 --> 00:38:43,896
that we are looking to recruit
on this rope.
667
00:38:43,930 --> 00:38:46,498
NARRATOR:
Orff says the blue mussels
clinging to these ropes
668
00:38:46,533 --> 00:38:49,334
could be a lifeline
for New York Harbor
669
00:38:49,369 --> 00:38:52,004
and help the city survive
a wetter future.
670
00:38:54,374 --> 00:38:57,476
The mussels are
a keystone species,
671
00:38:57,510 --> 00:39:01,046
the first small step
toward Orff's grand vision--
672
00:39:01,081 --> 00:39:03,849
a harbor filled
with vibrant shellfish beds
673
00:39:03,883 --> 00:39:05,284
and small islands,
674
00:39:05,318 --> 00:39:09,088
offering a natural defense
against high water.
675
00:39:09,122 --> 00:39:10,389
ORFF:
You can't just think
676
00:39:10,423 --> 00:39:12,291
about resiliency as closing
the gates,
677
00:39:12,325 --> 00:39:13,959
you know, putting up
a giant sea wall.
678
00:39:13,993 --> 00:39:17,763
But rather through introducing
reefs and offshore islands,
679
00:39:17,797 --> 00:39:20,466
ecological systems
and marine life can play a role
680
00:39:20,500 --> 00:39:22,167
in making a more
resilient harbor.
681
00:39:22,202 --> 00:39:24,503
I think we've learned
over the past 100 years
682
00:39:24,537 --> 00:39:26,438
that you cannot isolate
these problems,
683
00:39:26,473 --> 00:39:27,906
that we live in an ecosystem
684
00:39:27,941 --> 00:39:29,308
where everything is
interconnected.
685
00:39:29,342 --> 00:39:31,743
Hold it!
686
00:39:33,313 --> 00:39:35,681
NARRATOR:
Even though retired
fire captain Dan Mundy
687
00:39:35,715 --> 00:39:37,182
spent a lot on hard defenses
688
00:39:37,217 --> 00:39:40,185
at his waterfront home
in Broad Channel,
689
00:39:40,220 --> 00:39:44,723
he's an evangelist for
the gospel of soft measures,
690
00:39:44,757 --> 00:39:48,961
especially in the marshes
of Jamaica Bay.
691
00:39:48,995 --> 00:39:51,497
MUNDY:
As children, we used to drive
our boats through these,
692
00:39:51,531 --> 00:39:53,198
so we knew these islands,
these marsh islands,
693
00:39:53,233 --> 00:39:54,533
like the back of our hand.
694
00:39:54,567 --> 00:39:57,202
We knew how big, how wide
the creek was,
695
00:39:57,237 --> 00:40:00,272
we knew where your turns were,
and whatnot.
696
00:40:00,306 --> 00:40:05,611
NARRATOR:
Then, in the 1990s, he noticed
that things were changing.
697
00:40:07,614 --> 00:40:10,716
MUNDY:
The creeks got wider,
the openings fell apart,
698
00:40:10,750 --> 00:40:12,684
and instead of coming in
and making a turn,
699
00:40:12,719 --> 00:40:13,952
it was just a big opening.
700
00:40:13,987 --> 00:40:18,090
NARRATOR:
Along with his son, also Dan,
Mundy collected
701
00:40:18,124 --> 00:40:21,126
old maps and aerial photos
of the marshes
702
00:40:21,161 --> 00:40:23,595
and compared them to new views.
703
00:40:23,630 --> 00:40:26,198
MUNDY:
And when we looked
at the interior of the marsh,
704
00:40:26,232 --> 00:40:28,300
looking, like, overhead
and looking down, we found out
705
00:40:28,334 --> 00:40:30,602
the whole interior
was like a cancer.
706
00:40:30,637 --> 00:40:33,539
It was eaten out
from the inside out.
707
00:40:33,573 --> 00:40:35,174
NARRATOR:
The Mundys helped launch
708
00:40:35,208 --> 00:40:37,609
a scientific investigation.
709
00:40:37,644 --> 00:40:40,612
The findings were chilling.
710
00:40:40,647 --> 00:40:46,151
Jamaica Bay was losing
33 acres of marshland a year.
711
00:40:46,186 --> 00:40:49,488
Eventually, scientists believed
they found the culprit.
712
00:40:49,522 --> 00:40:52,658
Polluted water was killing
the sea grass.
713
00:40:52,692 --> 00:40:54,159
MUNDY:
These plants that we see,
714
00:40:54,194 --> 00:40:56,461
the roots are like arteries--
they go out feet.
715
00:40:56,496 --> 00:41:00,032
NARRATOR:
Without the web of sea grass
roots knitting them together,
716
00:41:00,066 --> 00:41:02,201
the sandy islands
dissolved away.
717
00:41:04,504 --> 00:41:08,140
Since then, the Mundys
have spent years
718
00:41:08,174 --> 00:41:11,343
trying to save the marshes,
with impressive results.
719
00:41:11,377 --> 00:41:15,814
Today, pollution is down.
720
00:41:15,848 --> 00:41:17,583
The water quality is up.
721
00:41:17,617 --> 00:41:20,419
They've helped raise
millions of dollars to rebuild
722
00:41:20,453 --> 00:41:23,655
many of the islands,
including this one.
723
00:41:23,690 --> 00:41:26,225
And they organize
volunteer groups to plant
724
00:41:26,259 --> 00:41:29,561
new sea grass to hold
the sand together.
725
00:41:29,596 --> 00:41:30,662
MUNDY:
And look at this.
726
00:41:30,697 --> 00:41:34,566
We have new growth
coming up in this area.
727
00:41:34,601 --> 00:41:35,767
That's the most
encouraging thing
728
00:41:35,802 --> 00:41:38,503
that I've seen
since I started this project,
729
00:41:38,538 --> 00:41:42,641
because this means that they're
going to be well established.
730
00:41:42,675 --> 00:41:45,344
We can let this
go by itself now.
731
00:41:47,847 --> 00:41:49,948
NARRATOR:
The Mundys
are stubbornly committed
732
00:41:49,983 --> 00:41:53,151
to this place, even though
they live on the front lines
733
00:41:53,186 --> 00:41:55,087
of the battle against
sea level rise.
734
00:41:55,121 --> 00:41:56,955
MUNDY:
We're not moving.
735
00:41:56,990 --> 00:41:59,324
A little water
ain't scaring us away.
736
00:41:59,326 --> 00:42:00,826
Do we retreat
from the tornado alleys,
737
00:42:00,860 --> 00:42:02,160
do we retreat
from the mudslides,
738
00:42:02,195 --> 00:42:04,529
and do we retreat
from the forest fires?
739
00:42:04,564 --> 00:42:06,398
So if we apply that mentality
across the board,
740
00:42:06,432 --> 00:42:08,100
there's really not many places
we want to live.
741
00:42:08,134 --> 00:42:11,903
NARRATOR:
For them, natural defenses
are a key weapon in the fight.
742
00:42:11,938 --> 00:42:14,039
MUNDY (father):
We're going to get
the water quality back
743
00:42:14,073 --> 00:42:16,608
to the way it used to be,
going to rebuild these marshes
744
00:42:16,643 --> 00:42:17,876
that have disappeared.
745
00:42:17,910 --> 00:42:21,413
And that all is going to help
with resiliency for the future.
746
00:42:21,447 --> 00:42:24,349
It's going to protect
the shorelines.
747
00:42:24,351 --> 00:42:28,053
NARRATOR:
The Mundys found
an unlikely ally in their quest
748
00:42:28,087 --> 00:42:31,290
to rebuild the marshes
of Jamaica Bay--
749
00:42:31,324 --> 00:42:35,260
the Army Corps of Engineers,
which built the new islands.
750
00:42:35,295 --> 00:42:38,764
The Corps, now aware
of the mistakes it made
751
00:42:38,798 --> 00:42:41,967
managing the Mississippi,
seems to be going soft.
752
00:42:42,001 --> 00:42:44,303
JOE VIETRI:
We have to think about
a healthy estuary system
753
00:42:44,337 --> 00:42:47,039
with salt marsh and soft
wave-absorbing type features
754
00:42:47,073 --> 00:42:48,907
like islands
and things of that sort.
755
00:42:48,941 --> 00:42:52,344
You can use a combination of
gray and green infrastructure,
756
00:42:52,378 --> 00:42:54,680
gray being our traditional
concrete-type things,
757
00:42:54,714 --> 00:42:58,250
and green being
those softer solution sets.
758
00:42:58,284 --> 00:43:00,485
We know a lot
about the hard structures.
759
00:43:00,520 --> 00:43:02,487
We're learning more
about the natural features.
760
00:43:02,489 --> 00:43:04,022
But we really don't know
a whole lot
761
00:43:04,057 --> 00:43:05,357
about how we combine these.
762
00:43:05,391 --> 00:43:11,363
NARRATOR:
For now the Corps is focused
on brown-- pumping sand,
763
00:43:11,397 --> 00:43:12,831
nourishing beaches,
764
00:43:12,865 --> 00:43:16,335
in the Rockaways
and on the Jersey shore.
765
00:43:16,369 --> 00:43:19,037
It's tried and true protection.
766
00:43:19,072 --> 00:43:22,174
VIETRI:
We've only basically been
looking at soft solution sets,
767
00:43:22,208 --> 00:43:24,176
basically sand on a sandy beach.
768
00:43:24,210 --> 00:43:26,878
Enough to buy us some time
to take a deep breath
769
00:43:26,913 --> 00:43:30,816
and look at what those
more complex solutions might be.
770
00:43:30,850 --> 00:43:33,085
NARRATOR:
Most experts believe
that ultimately,
771
00:43:33,119 --> 00:43:35,053
soft measures alone
won't be enough
772
00:43:35,088 --> 00:43:36,855
to stop a storm like Sandy
773
00:43:36,889 --> 00:43:40,459
from taking an enormous bite
out of the Big Apple.
774
00:43:43,463 --> 00:43:45,897
Less than a year
after the megastorm hit,
775
00:43:45,932 --> 00:43:50,268
New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg
released a $20 billion plan
776
00:43:50,303 --> 00:43:53,705
to make the city more resilient.
777
00:43:53,740 --> 00:43:57,376
The plan calls for several
small storm barriers
778
00:43:57,410 --> 00:44:02,180
at strategic locations, as well
as plenty of new sea walls.
779
00:44:02,215 --> 00:44:05,584
And instead of
a giant storm surge barrier,
780
00:44:05,618 --> 00:44:10,522
Bloomberg sees new developments
like this as the best defense--
781
00:44:10,556 --> 00:44:13,392
Arverne by the Sea
on the Rockaway peninsula.
782
00:44:13,426 --> 00:44:16,395
Homes here were raised
nine feet above grade,
783
00:44:16,429 --> 00:44:19,664
with a robust
stormwater drainage system.
784
00:44:19,699 --> 00:44:21,800
They sustained minimal damage
during Sandy,
785
00:44:21,834 --> 00:44:26,138
a stark contrast
to what happened nearby.
786
00:44:26,172 --> 00:44:27,506
ORFF:
To me that's the idea
of resiliency.
787
00:44:27,540 --> 00:44:28,573
We can't keep the water out.
788
00:44:28,608 --> 00:44:31,476
But if you can retrofit
your buildings to be able
789
00:44:31,511 --> 00:44:33,311
to get wet, in a sense,
790
00:44:33,346 --> 00:44:36,581
but not be critically damaged
during a storm event.
791
00:44:39,585 --> 00:44:42,554
NARRATOR:
This sea change in attitude--
792
00:44:42,588 --> 00:44:44,990
accepting that sometimes
you have to let the water in--
793
00:44:45,024 --> 00:44:49,093
is exactly what's going on
in the Netherlands.
794
00:44:49,095 --> 00:44:50,262
The whole foundation
795
00:44:50,296 --> 00:44:52,264
on which the water safety system
is built
796
00:44:52,298 --> 00:44:55,834
is really being subjected
to a critical revision.
797
00:44:57,904 --> 00:44:59,771
NARRATOR:
The tide began turning
in the mid-'90s
798
00:44:59,806 --> 00:45:02,641
after some devastating
river flooding.
799
00:45:02,675 --> 00:45:06,144
At the same time,
scientists were issuing
800
00:45:06,179 --> 00:45:09,648
increasingly dire warnings
about climate change
801
00:45:09,682 --> 00:45:13,819
causing both sea level rise
and more rain in the region.
802
00:45:13,853 --> 00:45:17,289
HANS BROUWER:
It meant that the expectation
is higher river peaks,
803
00:45:17,323 --> 00:45:19,991
but also sea level rise.
804
00:45:20,026 --> 00:45:21,827
And that would give a problem,
805
00:45:21,861 --> 00:45:24,062
because the rivers flow freely
into the sea.
806
00:45:24,096 --> 00:45:27,132
So when the sea level rise,
it will be much more difficult
807
00:45:27,166 --> 00:45:30,302
to let the river water
flow into the sea.
808
00:45:30,336 --> 00:45:33,405
NARRATOR:
The Dutch government launched
a program
809
00:45:33,439 --> 00:45:35,607
called Room for the River.
810
00:45:35,641 --> 00:45:38,610
At the most flood-prone
locations in the country
811
00:45:38,644 --> 00:45:41,947
they asked property owners
to leave, buying them out,
812
00:45:41,981 --> 00:45:44,316
so the dikes could be
moved inland.
813
00:45:44,350 --> 00:45:49,421
So when flood waters come,
they will flow onto empty land
814
00:45:49,455 --> 00:45:52,456
without damaging homes
or businesses.
815
00:45:52,458 --> 00:45:56,127
Now we were talking about giving
back land to the river system.
816
00:45:56,162 --> 00:45:58,430
And that was quite a step.
817
00:46:00,867 --> 00:46:03,368
NARRATOR:
It is not just farmland
making the room.
818
00:46:03,402 --> 00:46:09,774
In the city of Nijmegen,
they're reshaping the landscape
819
00:46:09,809 --> 00:46:12,010
to make some space
for the River Waal,
820
00:46:12,044 --> 00:46:15,981
bulldozing a peninsula,
leaving just a small island.
821
00:46:18,885 --> 00:46:22,621
After many centuries
of performing a sort of alchemy,
822
00:46:22,655 --> 00:46:24,389
turning water into land,
823
00:46:24,423 --> 00:46:28,059
the Dutch are facing the limits
of their sorcery.
824
00:46:28,094 --> 00:46:32,964
Not everyone everywhere
can be kept safe from the water.
825
00:46:32,999 --> 00:46:36,368
Is this the beginning
of a tactical retreat?
826
00:46:36,402 --> 00:46:38,603
METZ:
The Dutch don't see this
as a retreat.
827
00:46:38,638 --> 00:46:41,606
They see it as a form
of accommodation.
828
00:46:41,641 --> 00:46:44,442
Now we're moving
towards an approach in which
829
00:46:44,477 --> 00:46:49,781
water is seen as perhaps
not a friend but a "frenemy,"
830
00:46:49,815 --> 00:46:51,950
somewhere in between.
831
00:46:55,421 --> 00:46:57,021
NARRATOR:
In Rotterdam,
832
00:46:57,023 --> 00:47:01,359
where parts of the city lie
22 feet below sea level,
833
00:47:01,394 --> 00:47:03,328
the Dutch
are going even further,
834
00:47:03,362 --> 00:47:06,765
coming up with innovative places
to put flood waters.
835
00:47:06,799 --> 00:47:08,533
DANIEL GOEDBLOED:
We don't have room
836
00:47:08,568 --> 00:47:11,770
in the city of Rotterdam
to just add more canals.
837
00:47:11,804 --> 00:47:13,672
So we have to think
of other things.
838
00:47:13,706 --> 00:47:15,874
And that's one of the things
we're doing here,
839
00:47:15,908 --> 00:47:17,509
is we're storing it
actually underground.
840
00:47:17,543 --> 00:47:20,312
NARRATOR:
When a museum built this
underground parking garage,
841
00:47:20,346 --> 00:47:21,413
the city added on
842
00:47:21,447 --> 00:47:25,317
a 2.5-million-gallon
holding tank.
843
00:47:26,786 --> 00:47:30,255
About ten times a year,
heavy rains prompt them
844
00:47:30,289 --> 00:47:34,459
to open the valves
and fill the tank.
845
00:47:34,493 --> 00:47:37,362
It prevents flooding
and stops untreated sewage
846
00:47:37,396 --> 00:47:39,497
from flowing into the harbor.
847
00:47:44,403 --> 00:47:46,938
The city is also creating
public plazas
848
00:47:46,973 --> 00:47:49,074
that are walled and tiered
849
00:47:49,108 --> 00:47:52,911
so they can double
as retention ponds.
850
00:47:52,945 --> 00:47:55,447
When it starts to rain,
I mean, this fills up,
851
00:47:55,481 --> 00:47:58,817
and all these terraces fill up,
and kids just love it.
852
00:47:58,851 --> 00:48:02,220
I mean, they put on their boots
and they just run through it.
853
00:48:02,254 --> 00:48:06,358
NARRATOR:
Another more elaborate one
is under construction
854
00:48:06,392 --> 00:48:08,093
near a high school.
855
00:48:11,097 --> 00:48:15,233
When it rains here,
the playing field will fill up
856
00:48:15,267 --> 00:48:19,070
and hold water until the pumps
and sewers can handle it.
857
00:48:24,644 --> 00:48:29,314
Keeping their feet dry has
always been a Dutch priority.
858
00:48:29,348 --> 00:48:32,417
But the key lesson
they've learned over the years:
859
00:48:32,451 --> 00:48:35,587
simply fending off the water
as if it were a mortal enemy
860
00:48:35,621 --> 00:48:39,524
is like tilting at windmills.
861
00:48:45,031 --> 00:48:48,233
Whatever New York does,
its defenses could be challenged
862
00:48:48,267 --> 00:48:50,235
sooner than expected.
863
00:48:50,269 --> 00:48:52,771
Because not only
is sea level rising,
864
00:48:52,805 --> 00:48:57,175
but future storms could be
more destructive.
865
00:48:57,209 --> 00:48:59,644
When megastorm Sandy
hit the Northeast,
866
00:48:59,679 --> 00:49:03,214
many asked whether this monster
was the product
867
00:49:03,249 --> 00:49:04,282
of climate change.
868
00:49:04,316 --> 00:49:05,617
SHEPHERD:
It's not clear to me
869
00:49:05,651 --> 00:49:07,686
that this storm was caused
by climate change,
870
00:49:07,720 --> 00:49:09,654
but I think
that we are in an era
871
00:49:09,689 --> 00:49:11,322
where climate change
is likely increasing the risk
872
00:49:11,357 --> 00:49:15,260
or probability of certain types
of extreme weather events.
873
00:49:15,294 --> 00:49:18,263
NARRATOR:
Climate models suggest
that overall,
874
00:49:18,297 --> 00:49:22,100
the number of hurricanes
might go down.
875
00:49:22,134 --> 00:49:25,570
But the ones that do form
could be even more powerful
876
00:49:25,604 --> 00:49:27,172
than they are today.
877
00:49:27,206 --> 00:49:30,975
What all the models and theories
seem to agree on,
878
00:49:31,010 --> 00:49:33,111
at least globally at this point,
879
00:49:33,145 --> 00:49:35,647
is that the frequency
of the very high intensity,
880
00:49:35,681 --> 00:49:38,750
Category 3, 4, 5 events,
should go up.
881
00:49:38,784 --> 00:49:42,487
NARRATOR:
Hurricanes are giant
heat engines,
882
00:49:42,521 --> 00:49:45,924
fueled by evaporation from
the warm surface of the ocean.
883
00:49:45,958 --> 00:49:49,661
Once a hurricane gets revved up,
884
00:49:49,695 --> 00:49:51,496
a warmer climate means
more evaporation
885
00:49:51,530 --> 00:49:54,416
and a stronger storm.
886
00:49:54,467 --> 00:49:56,101
EMANUEL:
If you look at the
most powerful hurricanes
887
00:49:56,135 --> 00:49:59,170
on the planet, they have winds
near the surface
888
00:49:59,205 --> 00:50:01,940
of about 200 miles per hour.
889
00:50:01,974 --> 00:50:04,709
It's conceivable
that a hundred years from now,
890
00:50:04,744 --> 00:50:07,545
the top ranking hurricanes
will have wind speeds
891
00:50:07,580 --> 00:50:10,749
of, say, 220 miles per hour,
about a ten percent increase.
892
00:50:10,783 --> 00:50:13,651
NARRATOR:
That may not sound
like very much,
893
00:50:13,686 --> 00:50:15,353
but as wind speed increases,
894
00:50:15,387 --> 00:50:18,957
the potential for damage rises
exponentially.
895
00:50:18,991 --> 00:50:20,992
EMANUEL:
So you're talking
about something
896
00:50:21,026 --> 00:50:24,229
that's half again more damaging
than current hurricanes.
897
00:50:24,263 --> 00:50:27,031
That's what we worry about.
898
00:50:30,236 --> 00:50:32,771
NARRATOR:
Bigger storms.
899
00:50:32,805 --> 00:50:36,608
Higher seas.
900
00:50:36,642 --> 00:50:40,812
Is a retreat from the water
inevitable?
901
00:50:42,181 --> 00:50:43,581
JACOB:
In many places,
902
00:50:43,583 --> 00:50:45,984
it will be absolutely
inevitable.
903
00:50:46,018 --> 00:50:49,053
Florida is doomed.
904
00:50:49,088 --> 00:50:52,357
Not today, not next year,
not next decade.
905
00:50:52,391 --> 00:50:57,729
But 200 years from now, there
will be one big swimming pool.
906
00:50:57,763 --> 00:51:02,133
NARRATOR:
So does it make sense
to invest in expensive projects
907
00:51:02,168 --> 00:51:05,503
like beach renourishment
year after year
908
00:51:05,538 --> 00:51:08,606
to protect a way of life
that may not be sustainable?
909
00:51:08,641 --> 00:51:10,542
VIETRI:
It makes a lot of sense
910
00:51:10,576 --> 00:51:12,510
to put sand on the beach
in Rockaways right now.
911
00:51:12,545 --> 00:51:14,846
But I would not suggest to you
that 30 years from now
912
00:51:14,880 --> 00:51:17,749
or 35 years from now that that
might still make a lot of sense.
913
00:51:17,783 --> 00:51:22,253
NARRATOR:
And does it make sense
for federal taxpayers
914
00:51:22,288 --> 00:51:25,123
to subsidize flood insurance,
an incentive for people
915
00:51:25,157 --> 00:51:29,627
to build and rebuild
right on the water's edge,
916
00:51:29,728 --> 00:51:31,062
in low-lying parts
of New Jersey,
917
00:51:31,096 --> 00:51:34,532
where 30,000 businesses
and homes
918
00:51:34,567 --> 00:51:37,602
were damaged or destroyed
by Sandy?
919
00:51:37,636 --> 00:51:40,938
Or in Broad Channel?
920
00:51:40,940 --> 00:51:43,041
Premiums here have skyrocketed.
921
00:51:43,075 --> 00:51:48,813
Dan Mundy worries it could be
a mortal blow to his community.
922
00:51:48,848 --> 00:51:50,915
MUNDY:
These are workers
that you're talking about.
923
00:51:50,950 --> 00:51:53,084
These are people
who get on the A train.
924
00:51:53,118 --> 00:51:54,352
They go to work every day.
925
00:51:54,386 --> 00:51:56,921
They make $80,000.
926
00:51:56,956 --> 00:51:59,057
They make $90,000 a year.
927
00:51:59,091 --> 00:52:00,558
They can just about afford
928
00:52:00,593 --> 00:52:02,527
to pay their mortgage
and whatnot,
929
00:52:02,561 --> 00:52:05,530
and you bring these increases
in on them,
930
00:52:05,564 --> 00:52:07,732
that's going to be a problem.
931
00:52:07,766 --> 00:52:10,368
NARRATOR:
Not an easy problem to solve.
932
00:52:10,402 --> 00:52:12,337
And it's just one
of many dilemmas
933
00:52:12,371 --> 00:52:15,573
in the wake of megastorm Sandy.
934
00:52:15,608 --> 00:52:18,176
MUNDY:
When we got our back
to the wall,
935
00:52:18,210 --> 00:52:20,011
America can respond.
936
00:52:20,045 --> 00:52:22,313
And this thing is so big,
937
00:52:22,348 --> 00:52:23,581
and it's going to affect
so much,
938
00:52:23,616 --> 00:52:25,383
and it's going to affect
so much of the economy
939
00:52:25,417 --> 00:52:26,417
of the United States,
940
00:52:26,452 --> 00:52:29,520
that this is the game changer,
right here.
941
00:52:31,690 --> 00:52:34,459
We have an opportunity
after these big events
942
00:52:34,493 --> 00:52:35,894
to really think broadly.
943
00:52:35,928 --> 00:52:37,695
We shouldn't waste
those opportunities.
944
00:52:37,730 --> 00:52:41,132
Because there's an event bigger
than Sandy out there, I'm sure.
945
00:53:10,729 --> 00:53:13,698
This NOVA program
is available on DVD.
946
00:53:13,732 --> 00:53:19,037
To order, visit shopPBS.org,
or call 1-800-play-PBS.
947
00:53:19,071 --> 00:53:21,706
NOVA is also available
for download on iTunes.
948
00:53:24,476 --> 00:53:21,706
Captioned by
Media Access Group at WGBH
access.wgbh.org