Is Now the Time to Buy a Dam for Your House?

Traveling from Louisiana, four 18-wheelers and more than a dozen workers rolled into the heart of Houston Tuesday morning. The Cajun crew was there to unfurl and install a unique form of flood protection: three-foot high, seven-foot wide, 250-foot long flexible dams, an invention called the AquaDam. They will allow emergency vehicles to safely travel on Interstate 10 without fear of being washed away in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.

The AquaDam was first invented in 1988, though the company of the same name wasn’t incorporated until 2009. The product was initially inspired by a water balloon, the company’s officers said, and aside from protecting against flood water, can be used as a recreational platform in a large pool or river. But these days, its primary use has been anything but frivolous.

AquaDam is sold through four distributors in the U.S., as well as in Canada, the U.K., and Australia. Made of irrigation grade tubing on the inside and a thick, woven geo-textile on the outside, the product is designed to keep flood waters three-quarters of its height at bay. That means a four foot tall dam will protect from 36 inches of water.