And there appear to be no shortage of idiots. The $119 Billion Sea Wall That Could Defend New York … or Not An aerial view of the New Orleans Drainage System’s Gulf Intracoastal West Closure Complex, which includes a navigable floodgate, sluice gates and an earthern levee, in Belle Chasse, Louisiana, on June 10, 2015. (William Widmer/The New York Times) A proposal for a six-mile-long barrier to protect New York City from floodwaters during fierce storms like Sandy has alarmed many experts who say it is an oversimplified, myopic concept that could even make things worse. New York Times New York Last Updated: January 18, 2020, 2:36 PM IST Picture a storm charging toward New York City, pushing a surge of seawater like the one that flooded the region during Hurricane Sandy. But this time, man-made islands with retractable gates stretch from the Rockaways in Queens to a strip of land...