Big Bags USA

We’ve seen some interesting floods this year, whether from heavy rainfall or hurricanes. At Big Bags USA, we want to do everything in our power to reduce the impact that floods have on the community. We offer a solution through our Big Bags USA flood barriers. Our modern sandbags have been making a huge impact on communities around the country by protecting them from flood waters that threaten their homes and towns. As we approach the end of 2018 and look towards 2019, we wanted to look over the last several events in 2018 that stood out. Significant Flooding from 2018 We’ve seen some historic rainfall and flooding through the United States in 2018. At a glance, historic events (1,000-year rainfall events), have occurred at least five times this year across the country! These have lasted for at least 24-hour periods, but some have lasted for longer. According to weather.com, here are five notable, long-duration, high-impact rainfall events that happened this year. Hurrican...

Airports pose a unique position when it comes to the floodplain. They are extremely flat and generally close to sea level. Airports are at extreme risk of flooding due to these two factors. While this can impede travel (which is annoying in and of itself), depending on the airport's location, it can also impede the transportation of goods from in and out of the United States. Let’s take a look at 13 of the nations 47 largest airports to get a grasp on the scale of this issue. What Types of Storms Are Affecting Airports? While it is easy to assume that the sea level rise will gradually breach the defenses around each airport - making that the biggest threat. But, in fact, during the next several decades, scientists are saying that sea level rise will be more of an enabler of storm-surge flooding. This will make it easier for even minor storms to produce damaging flooding and surges. Which means that when a strong storm hits, the threat is multiplied. These storms will likel...

When in the middle of a crisis, you don’t want to be digging for your important documents, putting together an emergency kit , and finding the phone numbers of helpful people. A stressful situation can be made easier when you have things prepared in advance. The same can be said for your local community when it faces a crisis. When national emergencies occur, there has to be a plan in place to react. Let’s take a look at the Officials Guide of Emergency Preparedness by the National Association of State Procurement Officials to learn how they prepare for emergency situations , but also how you can get involved. Who Handles Emergency Situations As a general rule, most incidents are handled locally. When an emergency occurs, a local response agency will respond. This can include the police, fire, and emergency medical services. There are times when a situation could escalate and impact other areas of the community, county, or state (weather related incidences apply, such as hurrica...

At Big Bags USA® , we often hear people say, "We just don't have time to react," which is sometimes true for certain "pop-up storms." However, if areas have had problems in the past with flooding, they should have the proper tools on hand to be able to go into "action mode" and reduce potential damages. Advances in technology have allowed us to better predict when flooding might occur. The weather channel consistently gives areas ample time to prepare by releasing flood watches and flood warnings. What is the difference between a watch and a warning? How much time do you have to prepare? What products do you need to have on hand? We’re going to address these questions and more. Watch Vs. Warning - What’s the Difference? It’s important to know the difference between a flood watch and a flood warning. The Red Cross website states the difference like this: A flood/flash flood WATCH means a flood or flash flood is possible.  A flood/flash flood ...

With the 2018 Atlantic Hurricane Season well underway, we want to help you be more prepared! That means understanding how to read hurricane maps. Below you will find some examples of hurricane maps from the NOAA and a description of how to read them so you understand what to expect from upcoming tropical weather. Hurricane Watches and Warnings - The Track Forecast Cone  When severe tropical weather is detected in the Atlantic, a Tropical Storm or Hurricane Watch or Warning will be issued. A map showing the track forecast will then be released. See the example from Hurricane Sandy below. This shows the probable path of the storm, and what areas could be affected by tropical storm or hurricane weather. The orange circle indicates the current position of the center of the storm. The black dots show the National Hurricane Center's forecast track of the center at the times specified for each dot. The letter inside the dot tells you the expected intensity of the storm at that point ...

Hurricane season is underway, and we're approaching the time of year when things typically start getting more active out in the Atlantic. Among the most destructive storms of all time, were 3 different storms just last year; Harvey, Irma and Maria all hit between August and September, 2017. According to the NOAA, here are the top 11 most destructive U.S. hurricanes of all time in terms of property damage. 7. Hurricane Ike, 2008 - $35 Billion  Hurricane Ike made landfall in Texas as a Category 2 hurricane. This storm was the largest Atlantic hurricane, in size, on record. The storm caused considerable storm surge in coastal TX and significant wind and flood damage in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania. Severe gasoline shortages occurred in the southeast U.S. due to damaged oil platforms, storage tanks, pipelines and off-line refineries. 6. Hurricane Andrew, 1992 - $49 Billion  Hurricane Andrew...

Big Bags USA® is the fastest deployed barrier anywhere! In today's blog, we continue answering some of the most commonly asked questions about our flood barrier systems and our patented transforming spreader bar that can be used to deploy them. How Much Does a Single 5-Bag Flood Barrier System Weigh?  When empty, a single 5-bag system weighs 50 lbs. This is within the safe handling guidelines for one person. When filled, each system weighs 15,000 lbs. You can use our  Transforming Spreader Bar  to lift a system once it's filled. What is the Transforming Spreader Bar? The Transforming Spreader Bar is our innovative solution for deployment of protective flood barriers in areas that are considered dangerous or areas with terrain issues that prevent standard deployment of the Big Bags USA® sandbags system. It was designed with versatility, simplicity and speed in mind. The product is manufactured in the US out of high strength reinforced steel. How Does th...

While protecting property from flooding with sandbags is not a new concept, the Big Bags USA® Flood Barrier is! Unlike traditional sandbags, this large sandbag system provides fast and easy flood protection . Below we discuss some of the most frequently asked questions we get about the Big Bags USA® Flood Barrier System. 1. What is Big Bags USA®? Big Bags USA® is a system for protecting against flood waters. The 5-bag system opens up like an accordion to a length of 15 feet. They stand 40 inches tall. Once open, the connected bags remain standing so they can be filled with sand by machinery. The Big Bags USA® systems are a simple and cost effective solution for flood protection. 2. What's the Best Way to Fill the Big Bags USA® Flood Barriers? The best way to fill Big Bags USA® Flood Barriers is NOT by filling them one at a time, this can cause the bags to bulge. Instead, we recommend filling each bag with about 8-10 inches of sand before filling them all the way to t...

Hurricanes are given short, distinctive names to avoid confusion and streamline communication about tropical weather. Until the early 1950s, tropical storms and hurricanes were tracked by the year and the order in which they occurred during that year. Over time, that became confusing when more than one hurricane developed at the same time. Keeping reading to learn about how hurricanes are named, and find the list of this year's hurricane names as well. The Naming of Hurricanes In 1953, the United States began using female names for storms. By 1978, both male and female names were used to identify Northern Pacific storms. In 1979, this practice was adopted for storms in the Atlantic basin as well. Contrary to what you might think, hurricanes are named by a strict procedure established by the World Meteorological Organization, not the NOAA's National Hurricane Center.  For Atlantic hurricanes, there is a list of male and female names which are used on a 6-year rotatio...