Flood Proofing Cities

St. Petersburg: Problem
St. Petersburg, Russia is one of the most fabled of waterlogged cities. Its battles with flooding have been immortalized for centuries in Russian art (such as in this painting) and in literature. The city was built atop a swamp fed by the Neva River and the Gulf of Finland. Each fall and winter, strong winds and ice block the flow of the Neva into the Gulf, causing the river level to rise and, at least once a year, spill excess water into the city. Over the years, several disastrous floods, including the two largest in 1824 and 1924, have left considerable death and destruction in their wake.