Comment by cyberpunk2066

> won’t even contemplate building something similar to protect NYC

Perhaps not as ambitious as a barrier spanning the entrance to NY Harbor (comparable to Venice's system), NYC did build extensive storm surge barriers along the East River:

https://www.nyc.gov/site/escr/about/resiliency-and-flood-pro...

https://www.nyc.gov/site/ddc/about/press-releases/2021/pr-10...