NEW YORK (AP) — Almost nothing stood in the way of the pounding waves that crashed into seaside homes in Staten Island’s Tottenville neighborhood when Superstorm Sandy struck the city 12 years ago. A narrow strip of sand, some beach scrub and a few lonely trees did almost nothing to slow the ocean swells as they collapsed houses and ripped others from their foundations, killing a 13-year-old girl and her father. But after years of work, a system of artificial reefs largely completed this summer could help soften the blow of future hurricanes.
Funded with $111 million in recovery money, the “Living Breakwaters” constructed about 1,000 feet (300 meters) off the Tottenville beach were conceived to protect residents from future storms. While the concrete and rock barriers can’t stop flooding, project designers say they will sap the force of ocean waves, reducing daily erosion and damage from future storms. The artificial islands have the added benefit of reviving a bay ecosystem damaged by years of fishing, pollution and dredging.
That’s because they integrate “living” features such as tidepools and textured surfaces in a traditional breakwater to better shelter oysters, crabs and fish. The concept is attracting the attention of other coastal cities, including Florida’s Cedar Key, which was battered last month by Hurricane Helene. Living Breakwaters architect Pippa Brashear said other shoreline communities exposed to waves, damage and erosion could use a similar.