The best flood barriers for doors, houses, and natural disaster preparedness.
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As climate change worsens, the frequency of extreme weather events will increase all over the globe. Snow (as parts of the country have been getting hammered with these past two weeks), hurricanes, tsunamis, and intense rainfall can cause flooding. That, in turn, can cause wreckage and lasting moisture in your immediate area. Protective measures like flood barriers are essential to safeguard your home and property, especially if you live in a flood zone. (You should still consider the need to evacuate, by the way.)
Anywhere it can rain, it can flood, so understanding your property’s flood risk is one of the best ways to stymie potential damage to your home. From sandbags to makeshift dams, the best flood barriers reroute water away from your home and property, working to contain the excess water and prevent it from seeping through cracks and crevices. Stay safe through weather events with these flooding solutions for emergencies and prevention.
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Building a barrier to divert water is a solid way to prevent flood damage, but that’s just one part of fighting floods. You should also be aware of the flood risk in your immediate area by checking out a flood map provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Ready.gov, a federal resource for natural disaster prepping, recommends the following:
It’s a great idea to invest in flood insurance, too—and if you live in certain flood-susceptible areas, it’s required. The National Flood Insurance Program, managed by FEMA, is an affordable alternative to private insurance companies like Geico and Liberty Mutual. This program provides policyholders with up to $1,000 to purchase loss avoidance supplies like tarps and sandbags and up to $1,000 to move property to safety in the event of a flood. Make sure to take photos of your personal items for insurance claims.
We asked the FEMA news desk for additional info about protecting your property against floods. It recommends adopting the latest building codes, which reportedly saves $11 per $1 invested for damage like flooding.
Sandbags are an inexpensive flood barrier best for covering various areas on your property, from blocking the outer crevices of your home to containing rainfall in low-elevation terrain. You can easily stock up and stack them to create a wall, though it’s important to note they’re sold empty and must be filled. Burlap and nylon sandbags are stitched, making them highly tear-resistant.
If your home is free of cracks, a self-inflating flood barrier can work well for absorbing water and creating a low-height sealant, covering small gaps around the house, like a garage door or an entryway with a flimsy gasket. Self-inflating barriers can also contain leaks inside your home and prevent them from spreading, or you can use them to make a barrier around valuables like vehicles, sheds, and other structures.
You’ll have to spend a pretty penny if you’re looking for something to protect a commercial space or need something similar to what the United States Army Corps of Engineers uses. Quick Dam’s Water Force self-inflating dams are heavy-duty, reusable, and perfect for protecting large areas and stopping overflow from local water sources. These activate immediately when they come in contact with water and self-inflate a wall up to 6 feet tall, slowly lowering as water levels even out.
Opt for tightly stitched sandbags as loose stitching can cause sand to fall out and, thus, fail as a wall. Sandbags are made of burlap, polypropylene, polyethylene, or nylon. We recommend avoiding burlap and reaching for synthetic options as they can better resist tears and water.
Sandbags are designed to divert and halt water before it can reach a building. We only recommend using sandbags outside of buildings as they aren’t effective indoors—plus they slowly leak and require ample room to dry. Sandbags can be reused, but UV light can damage and break down their synthetic materials; while moisture can cause mold, too, so store packed bags in a dry, sheltered area when you aren’t using them.
According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, sandbag-filling is a two-person job. Here are the basic steps to filling sandbags and setting up flood barriers:
The exact placement rules for self-inflating, water-activated bags apply.
If you’re unsure how many sandbags you’ll need, many state readiness guidelines estimate that it takes an average of 600 sandbags to cover a 100-foot section that’s 1-foot high. That’s roughly 60 bags per 10 feet of coverage. Standard buildings and houses built on a concrete slab can be protected with less than 30 sandbags, though. Keep in mind that you’re likely not going to be surrounding your entire home, just a potential flooding area.
When choosing products, we had federal guidelines from FEMA, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at top of mind. We researched the market and consulted natural disaster and home protection guides to find the best flood barriers. We recommend five reliable products so you can protect your home even if sandbags aren’t a good fit for your property. There isn’t much variation between sandbags, so we included one with a UV-coating that can withstand sun damage and won’t break down over time.
These 850-denier bags are tough enough to resist rips, leaks, and weather and can handle floodwaters and even deterioration from UV light. They’re shelf-stable, affordable, and barebones—no frills here, just solidly constructed, reliable sandbags. They come in packs of 20, 50, and 100, and, as is typical, must be filled with your own sand or soil.
This is a frequently recommended sandbag due to the inclusion of hardy string ties and sturdiness. Many user reviews say they’ve held up well during flooding, with one stating they’ve used their bags for years. A few users, however, have reported that their multi-packs arrived with a handful of defective, hole-filled bags, so make sure to inspect these when they arrive.
Worth the investment for home and business owners, this self-rising dam is a highly durable, reusable solution to controlling floods. Like other Quick Dam products, the Water Force self-activates with water, inflates when it detects rising levels, and contains it, slowly lowering as levels recede.
You can roll them up for transport and storage and unravel them in a nearby river, around a building or car, or in a channel to prevent water from spreading. Yes, these are expensive, but the U.S. Army Corps has tested them for effectiveness.
The Water Force dams are available from 6 to 26 inches tall and 30 or 50 feet long. When the barriers activate, they rise up to 6 feet high despite their initial base height.
Quick Dam flood barriers are a lightweight sandbag alternative due to their long, sock-like shape and synthetic filling. Rather than rely on hefty soil and sand, the Quick Dam activates after contact with water. It expands, soaking up liquid, growing to its full size in 10 minutes. Quick Dam claims its product can absorb 4 gallons of water for every 4 feet of land it covers.
These things can be dropped in front of garage doors, doorways, and cracks, or even wrapped around a structure to safeguard it from moisture. They’re 10 feet long and pliable, and after absorbing liquids, they take a few days to decompress and evaporate.
The drawback? They’re only 3.5 inches tall. Though stackable, you’ll need to use several to pile them as high as a foot-high wall of sandbags, so this is best for lower-elevation floods and protecting smaller, narrower crevices. According to several user reviews, it’s also known to lose its filler after a few uses, so this temporary barrier needs to be replaced.
This barrier is an impenetrable wall with lifelong use that expands in length to stop water from seeping indoors. It works as a sealant for entryways, placed in doorways as you would a baby gate.
It stands 26 inches high and 25 inches wide, with the ability to expand up to 50 inches. It has a stable steel frame that fixes it into place and a metal jack that prevents it from moving. Just place it in an entryway and fix it into place using its jack—no tools are required.
Many user reviews have reported that the Flood Gate has prevented their basements from flooding, and its neoprene makeup is surprisingly watertight. Some even say they’ve been able to open their doors while flooding occurred and the gate had successfully prevented water from flowing in.
It’s pricey compared to other options on this list, however, and it’s pretty hefty.
A bargain for stacking up easy-to-store barriers, New Pig’s Absorbent Sock works similar to our Most Lightweight pick but for a fraction of the price. These barriers are made from polypropylene and stuffed with an absorbent polymer that expands when liquid touches it.
You can stack these in front of doorways and crevices or even use them to surround spills and prevent them from spreading. It’s great for absorbing water, oils, solvents, and more. Users say each sock holds about 4 cups of water, which makes it better for interior spills and floods. They aren’t UV-coated and they’re single-use.
However, New Pig does not recommend this for continuous water sources, so it won’t hold up against intense flooding. These are best at containing indoor floods that may be related to plumbing work, large spills, or a leaky ceiling.
Kevin Cortez is an editor for Runner's World, Bicycling, and Popular Mechanics covering reviews. A culture and product journalist for over ten years, he’s an expert in men’s style, technology, gaming, coffee, e-bikes, hiking, gear, and all things outdoors. He most recently worked as the Style Editor for Reviewed, a top product recommendation site owned by USA TODAY. He also helped with the launch of WSJ's Buy Side commerce vertical, and has covered the music and podcast industries for Mass Appeal, Genius, Vulture, Leafly, Input, and The A.V. Club. Equally passionate about leisure as he is his penmanship, Kevin dedicates his spare time to graphic novels, birding, making cold brew, and taking long, meandering walks.
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