For centuries, residents of flood-prone areas have looked to sandbags to stave off rising waters. Flood management experts say that while it's easy to understand why sandbags have become the first line of defence, they may not necessarily be the best one. Here's a look at sandbags and their effectiveness:
It depends entirely on the type of flood. Tamsin Lyle, principle engineer at British Columbia-based flood management company Ebbwater Consulting, said sandbags can be very effective in situations where they won't have prolonged exposure to water. Examples she cited include flash floods or holding off ocean waves that only reach impacted areas at high tide.
The bags are generally made of materials that are not resistant to UV rays, ensuring they degrade quickly. Once sand contaminated by dirty floodwaters are added to the mix, Blatz said the result is a single-use product that quickly makes its way to the landfill. He recognizes, however, that these disadvantages won't carry much weight for people in the midst of a flooding crisis.
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