Hurricane Protection

What are common hurricane protection tactics?

Hurricanes can cause severe damage to property as well as threaten human lives. There are many different hurricane mitigation techniques that can be used to limit damage and better prepare for coming storms.

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Infrastructure protection wall

What causes the most damage during a hurricane?

High winds which can exceed 100 mph often cause the most severe damage. Along with these hurricane force winds, storm surges can cause terrible flooding. Storm surge is when the sea level rises because of atmospheric pressure changes caused by hurricanes and other tropical storms. The rising water floods property and poses a threat to human safety.

Some common hurricane protection tactics include: 

  1. Storm Shutters — Storm shutters, also called hurricane coverings, are boards that can be placed over glass windows and doors to protect them against the wind and other objects carried by high winds.
  2. Hurricane Glass — Hurricane glass is specially designed to be shatter-proof in storm conditions. It’s made out of tempered laminated glass, also called safety glass.
  3. Flood Barriers — Flood Barriers, like the TrapBag® barrier system work to protect property from storm surge and other types of flooding. TrapBags® are easily installed and can be stacked for stormwater control.
  4. Secure doors, windows, and roofing — Preparing your home and property includes securing doors, your garage door, windows, and roofing, as well as elevating valuables.

How should I prepare for hurricane season?

Start preparing for hurricane season by educating yourself on the threat level where you live. Note, hurricanes can cause inland damage as well as along the coast. Depending on the strength of the storm, areas normally protected could also be at risk. If you are in an area that is likely to have any type of flood damage, make sure to have Federal Flood Insurance! You can learn more about the National Flood Insurance Program on FEMA.gov.

Next, create your emergency plan. Keep in mind, hurricane emergency plans can be affected by current circumstances like COVID-19.  Make sure your household understands evacuation routes as well as shelter locations.

Check that you have all the necessary supplies. These supplies should include medications, cleaning supplies, face masks, and pet food/care. Other supplies include water jugs, extra chargers, and non-perishable foods.

Pay attention to local news and listen for warnings and alerts. You can download the FEMA app as well as sign up for National Weather Service alerts.

Check that your important documents are up to date and accessible. 

Prepare your home using the tactics discussed above. Also bring in any outdoor furniture.

Always keep your phone charged and have backup chargers/resources ready to go in case of a power outage. Try to purchase these at the start of hurricane season as these tend to run out of stock when a hurricane is in the forecast.

Check in with your community, especially those most vulnerable to storms. Are they prepared? Can you help ensure their safety?

Read these and more tips at: https://www.ready.gov/hurricanes

What are hurricane barriers?

Hurricane barriers are water barriers designed to protect property from storm surge. Hurricane barriers are also called flood barriers, surge barriers, or storm surge barriers and come in many forms. They can either be placed around a specific home or building, or placed in and around the water depending on the type.

How do flood barriers prevent flooding from hurricanes?

Flood barriers prevent flooding from hurricanes by either blocking or reducing waves. Flood barriers like the TrapBag® barrier system helps stop, slow, or redirect flood water. 

TrapBag® Flood Barriers use 40% less fill material than a stacked sandbag wall, but more importantly one 100 foot section of 4 foot high TrapBag® replaces approximately 8,000 sandbags making TrapBag® Flood Barriers an excellent alternative to small and large sandbags. 

TrapBag® is a series of pentagon-shaped bags that are sloped on one side, vertical on the opposite side, and open at the top for filling. Each of the cells are connected side by side like an accordion, each cell has a common wall with the next cell, and are collapsed during storage and deployment. The cells are made of high-strength textile. Each of the cells are self-contained yet rely on the next cell for added strength. If one of the cells is compromised, it will not affect the rest of the flood barrier, which will remain standing strong.  TrapBag® Barriers can be filled with sand, washed gravel, or concrete. Avoid filling with silt, clay, or rocks greater than 2 inches across.

How do you set up a hurricane barrier wall using bags?

There are many methods to build a water barrier wall. The different types of water barrier walls include: 

  1. Cofferdams
  2. Traditional Sandbags
  3. Dams
  4. Dikes
  5. Levees

Each of these types of flood protection systems can be built using the innovative TrapBag® product. Using TrapBags® to create a water barrier wall will save time, energy, and money when compared to traditional methods of flood prevention.

TrapBags® are rapidly deployable and simple to install making them the preferred choice in water barriers.

Are sandbags helpful against a hurricane?

Sand bags can be helpful for hurricane prevention, however, the TrapBag® barrier system is a superior method. 

TrapBag® is a low cost, rapid deploy flood and erosion control barrier bag similar to, yet superior to, conventional sandbags. Our bags are designed to protect life and property from natural disasters such as flash flooding, mudslides, mud flows, levee breaches and storm surge. TrapBag® is versatile and may be used for other kinds of protection from security barriers to storm-water control.

TrapBag® is a series of pentagon-shaped bags that are sloped on one side, vertical on the opposite side and open at the top for filling. Each of the cells are connected side by side like an accordion, each cell has a common wall with the next cell, and are collapsed during storage and deployment. The cells are made of high-strength textile. Each of the cells are self-contained yet rely on the next cell for added strength. If one of the cells is compromised, it will not affect the rest of the barrier, which will remain standing strong.

TrapBag® uses 40% less fill material than a stacked sandbag wall, but more importantly a single 100 foot section of 4ft high TrapBag® replaces approximately 8,000 sandbags making TrapBag® Barriers an excellent alternative to small and large sandbags. TrapBag® Barriers can be filled with sand, washed gravel, or concrete. Avoid filling with silt, clay, or rocks greater than 2 inches across.

Staten Island beach stabilization

TrapBag was originally designed for hurricane mitigation.

Our President and founder, Everett “Buzz” Waid, first developed TrapBag® in 2004, after Hurricane Charlie. He saw the damage left behind in the wake of the storm, as well as the ineffectiveness of traditional flood control systems and began developing an all-around better alternative. By 2010 the first TrapBag® barrier was manufactured and by July of 2011 over 24 miles of our flood barriers were installed. To date, an excess of 300 miles have been installed around the world.

https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/20130726-1715-25045-9324/hurricane_mitigation_handbook_for_public_facilities.pdf

You can't always predict,
but you can always be prepared.

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