Could these plugs have saved NYC's subways from flooding?

File this under "coulda, woulda, shoulda." Huge inflatable plugs could perhaps have saved New York City's subway tunnels from flooding during superstorm Sandy, but unfortunately, the plugs are still in the prototype stage. Manufacturer ILC Dover and the Department of Homeland Security built a model that, as this video shows, tested successfully in January. The multilayered balloon is coated in a thick webbing made of Vectran, a liquid-crystal polymer fiber. When filled with air or water, the plug can inflate in as little as three minutes. But its designers are still two years away from marketing the device to government agencies. Cross your fingers we avoid a Sandy sequel until then. [Source]

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