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DeSantis, Hillsborough first responders say Tiger Dams show promise at preventing flood damage

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Published  October 15, 2024 8:46pm EDT
Hillsborough County
FOX 13 News

Tiger dams could be a solution to flooding

Carla Bayron reports

TAMPA, Fla. - You may have seen large orange inflatable tubes in the Tampa Bay area. They're called Tiger Dams and were very helpful in preventing flood damage to buildings. 

The State of Florida deployed these flood protection devices during Hurricane Helene. According to the manufacturer, US Flood Control, these flood barriers are elongated flexible tubes that, when filled with water, can replace hundreds of sandbags.

Governor Ron DeSantis talked about the Tiger Dams' effectiveness during a news conference outside Manatee Memorial Hospital after the storm.

READ: Sarasota Police recall rescuing Hurricane Helene victims

"You can see how they were stacking this – the result is where those Tiger Dams were placed around this hospital, there was not any water damage so this worked," said DeSantis.

"We actually have three stations that are in evacuation zones; Zone A for us in Hillsborough, that are prone to flooding," said Danny Alvarez, the public information chief for Hillsborough County Fire Rescue.

HCFR was able to use one of the dams at their station in Apollo Beach. The storm surge there pushed three to four feet of water into many homes, but Alvarez said the dams did what they were meant to do – keep the water out.  

"The station where we didn't have any, we could've benefited from the Tiger Dam," said Alvarez. "We have significant damage, and we're in the process of evaluating that to see what'll it cost to get back and running."

MORE: Hillsborough County's 911 call center got upgraded before Hurricane Helene: 'Game changer'

DeSantis said these flood barriers show promise and could be used in residential areas in the future. He added there could be a chance they could pilot a program where the Tiger Dams are deployed to some homes in a low-lying residential area.

"This would be something where it would preempt you from even having filing a claim, preempt the damage entirely and this could be a good thing for everybody," said DeSantis.

Alvarez said, ideally, he'd like to have three Tiger Dams to protect their stations in flood zones. 

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