Marine scientists have proposed a floating gate system to prevent the next disastrous hurricane

Published December 6, 2022 at 5:31 PM CST

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Debris on the I-45 highway at the entrance to Galveston is seen after Hurricane Ike hit the Gulf of Mexico near Galveston September 13, 2008. Hurricane Ike barrelled into the densely populated Texas coast near Houston early on Saturday, bringing with it a wall of water and ferocious winds and rain that flooded large areas along the Gulf of Mexico and paralyzed the fourth-largest U.S. city. REUTERS/Carlos Barria (UNITED STATES) FOR BEST QUALITY IMAGE: ALSO SEE GF2E8730KE101.

The Texas coast could permanently be altered by a storm surge barrier plan called the Ike Dike. In July, The U.S. Senate approved the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to begin planning the massive multibillion-dollar coastal project.

In 2008, Hurricane Ike hit Galveston and caused upwards of $27 billion in damages. To prevent catastrophic damage from destructive hurricanes, a plan has been developed to build artificial islands and anchor 80 feet tall gates. Ike Dike construction is estimated to take nearly two decades to complete.

When is construction likely to start? What is the science behind the wall? How much will it cost the taxpayers? What has prevented construction from starting? What competing storm surge barrier plans exist?

Guest: Warren Cornwall, contributing correspondent for Science magazine

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*This interview was recorded on Wednesday, December 7.