The Netherlands and the U.K. have spent huge amounts of money for coastal flood protection that far exceeds what the U.S. had shielding New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. In coming years the two European nations plan to spend even more to cope with rising sea levels.

Prompted by catastrophic floods on either side of the North Sea in 1953, both The Netherlands and the U.K. invested heavily in coastal defenses. A major storm surge had coincided with high spring tides to raise sea levels by nearly 3 meter. Sea dikes in the southwest of The Netherlands collapsed extensively, causing nearly 2,000 deaths. In England, floods caused 300 deaths and $10 billion of damage at today's prices.