Ahead of another potential Florida hurricane, Gov. Ron DeSantis lauded a new emergency flood control device that he says helped save buildings during the disastrous Hurricane Helene.
The Tiger Dam system, developed by the U.S. Flood Control Corp., was used by Manatee Memorial Hospital in Bradenton and a Tampa police station, Gov. DeSantis said, and consists of a series of "elongated, flexible tubes" that can be stacked, joined end to end, and filled with water as a flood barrier.
He hopes that with a potential new cyclone forming in the Gulf, more counties will use it in the future.
"We've been beating the drum about if you have critical infrastructure, using these Tiger Dams to prevent water damage," DeSantis said at a Horseshoe Beach press conference Tuesday afternoon. He pointed out that both the Manatee County Hospital and the Tampa police department sustained "no water damage" because of the Tiger dams.
"That means these things are operational, they don't miss a beat," he continued. "There were some other areas that didn't utilize that, and they did suffer some damage, and so that's an example of if there's another storm this season, I think more people are going to request it, and we want to be able to get it."
According to the company's website, the bright orange inflatable Tiger Dams can be stacked as high as 32 feet with a "seamless" watertight seal "for miles." They can be filled with a 2-inch pump, a fire hydrant, or a garden hose to stabilize the barrier. The 18-inch high tubes weigh 50 pounds dry and 6,300 lbs when filled with water, though others can be as high as 42 inches.
Tiger Dam in action: Photo courtesy of usfloodcontrol.com
The Dams were used in areas of two cities rocked by Hurricane Helene—Bradenton and Tampa. Manatee County officials received hundreds of 911 calls Thursday night (when the Category 4 storm first barreled into the Big Bend) and rescued more than 300 residents, Bay News reported. Parts of Tampa, meanwhile, suffered record flooding.
In neighboring Pinellas County, ten people died—the majority of whom appeared to have drowned in their homes.
Where the Dams were used, there was minimal damage.
As Floridians pick up the pieces from Helene, meteorologists warn of another potential storm on the horizon—which happens to be sitting in the same spot Helene was days before impact. This one, a potential disturbance, has a 40% chance of forming into a tropical depression in the next seven days while models predict it will either fizzle out or impact anywhere between Mexico and yes; Florida's Big Bend.
"Even if something forms, there's a chance it doesn't impact Florida. And even if it impacts Florida, there's a chance it could be maybe like a rainstorm," DeSantis said Tuesday. "But, I mean, it's not a 0% chance that there could be a more serious storm, and it could potentially impact our state in some way."
He explained that it's not necessarily something that Floridians should worry about, but cautioned that they should "keep an eye out" and listen to weather experts and local officials.
"Even if we just get a lot of rain in certain parts of the state...that will make an impact," he continued, referencing the slew of Helene-battered Florida cities. "We're still in [hurricane] season, there's still stuff brewing out there, and we just need everyone to be mindful of that and make sure that, if needed, you're taking the appropriate steps to protect yourself and to protect your family."
Hurricane season began on June 1 and will end Nov. 30.
