As I watch the devastating floods in the mid-west, I can’t help but ask myself, are we still using sandbags in the year 2008? Have we not been able to innovate and come up with a better approach to blocking water during a flood situation?

Below is a photo from the “Great Flood of 1965”.  Notice the highly inefficient use of sandbags.  If the photo was not black and white, you might think this was a photo from our most recent floods.  Keep in mind that this is over forty years ago.

Wikipedia tell me that the sandbag has been used since the 1700’s.

Com’on guys!  Can’t we think of a better way to do this?  Billions and billions of dollars of property damage and countless lives are at stake here.  How about quick hardening foam or lightweight plastic barriers?

I’m not sure what the answer is.  This is not my area of expertise but I do know that its sad that we’re still using a technique from the 1700’s.

Post a comment  if you have heard of any interesting alternatives.