To Flood-Proof Subways, N.Y. Looks At Everything From Plugs To Sheets

Image: Engineers test the Flex-Gate, a big sheet of waterproof fabric designed to cover subway entrances and keep water out. Its creation was inspired in part by roll-up metal doors used to cover store entrances. Joel Rose/NPR

npr.org - October 8th, 2015 - Joel Rose

New York City may have dodged a major storm recently when Hurricane Joaquin headed out to sea, but it was an unwelcome reminder of what happened three years ago when the city suffered catastrophic flooding during Superstorm Sandy. Now, the New York subway system is racing to get new flood-proofing technologies ready in time for the next big storm.

One of those methods is called the Flex-Gate, a big sheet of waterproof fabric designed to cover subway entrances and keep the water out.

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