Floating New Orleans out of danger.....

When Hurricane Katrina ran over New Orleans it flattened much of it with the 175 mile an hour winds, and the 7 meter high storm surge the hurricane brought with it from the ocean. 

Thousands died.

It caused eighty billion dollars of damage.

And 160,000 people just never returned to the city.

Above: A coastguard chopper searches for survivors in New Orleans...

If you're an engineer charged with preparing New Orleans for the future - which is likely to feature even more powerful hurricanes as the Earth warms up - how do you come up with a plan?

As with martial arts, and all the best engineering, the problem often becomes the answer: Rather than trying to beat the power of the ocean, planners are considering joining with it - and making New Orleans the worlds first floating city so it can ride over the top of future storm surges......