Galveston Seawall

The Galveston Seawall is a seawall in Galveston, Texas, USA that was built after the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 for protection from future hurricanes. Construction began in September, 1902, and the initial segment was completed on July 29, 1904. From 1904 to 1963, the seawall was extended from 3.3 miles to over 10 miles long.
Reporting in the aftermath of the 1983 Hurricane Alicia, the Corps of Engineers estimated that $100 million in damage was avoided because of the seawall. On September 13, 2008 Hurricane Ike's storm surge and large waves over-topped the seawall. As a result, a commission was established by the Texas Governor following the hurricane to investigate preparing for and mitigating future disasters.
A proposal has been put forth to build an \"Ike Dike,\" a massive levee system which would protect the Galveston Bay, and the important industrial facilities which line the coast and the ship channel, from a future, potentially more destructive storm. The proposal has gained widespread support from a variety of business interests. As of 2009 it is currently only at the conceptual stage.