Ike Dike Proposed to Protect Texas Coast One year after the
Hurricane Ike's 20-foot storm surge devastated Galveston, Texas,
and surrounding areas, local governments are in the midst of
making a decision about the proposed "Ike Dike" - an expansion
of the existing Galveston Seawall that would cost the federal
government billions of dollars. The Ike Dike, as proposed by
Texas A&M University at Galveston professor William Merrell,
would extend the existing seawall by over 50 miles and add
floodgates that would close before an approaching hurricane
(more details). The idea is based on the Delta Works, a series
of dams and barriers that protect the southwest Netherlands from
storm surge and coastal flooding. Supporters suggest that these
additions would prevent future damage to Galveston Bay and the
Port of Houston, protecting the region's oil production and
shipping industry, in addition to Galveston Island's residents,
infrastructure and the Galveston National Laboratory, a high-
security medical research facili