In order to lessen densely populated coasts from future storms, the U.S. government is considering a multibillion-dollar plan to build artificial islands off the coast of New York and New Jersey.

A huge devastation took place in October 2012 when Hurricane Sandy struck the Eastern Seaboard, which caused $79 billion in damages in New York and New Jersey alone and killed 159 people. Alan Blumberg, a Prof. at Stevens Institute of Technology in Sandy-devastated Hoboken, N.J., said: "The wave action and storm surge will reflect off these islands and go back out to sea rather than hitting the coast".

According to sources, engineers at the Stevens Institute set the proposal for building artificial islands along the states' crowded shores. The proposal is part of one of 10 project ideas that are sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Some other projects include re-establishing oyster colonies in tidal flats along the coasts, creation of nature preserves to absorb water and also to construct seawalls around the cities. Critics believe creating artificial Islands 12 miles out to sea will not work to keep storm surge at bay.

Stewart Farrell, head of Stockton College's Coastal Research Center in southern New Jersey, said sand borrow sites always acts as strong objections from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.