Vendors get a chance to show off flood protection products
Fargo, ND (WDAY TV) - Vendors from all over the country and the world are zeroing in on our area, hoping leaders will buy their flood protection products. Today, they all had a chance to show off their goods at a Flood Expo. It's the first time the area has had a show like this. Vendors set up in the auditorium of the Fargo Civic Center to demonstrate their product.
A lot of people curious people came out to the show, just to see what kind of products are out there. Fargo Mayor Walaker says it's an interesting show, but he's not ready to commit to any new product.
“The thing about barriers here in the valley, is a lot different than the barriers in Iowa or some place else where they don't have the snow to fight in the spring.”
Walaker says we should stick with what we know works, sandbags and clay dikes.
This Flood Expo is bringing in people who are looking for a different way to fight this spring's flood. They say they're tired of sandbagging and breaking their backs.
Last year, Tom Brunsdale's neighbors put in hours of work, sandbagging to help save his Hillsboro home. This year, he's looking for something new, to fight a very familiar rising river.
“So they don't have to do nearly as much work and I don't have to be too incumbent on their generosity.”
The 74-year old retired farmer wants protection that'll do the job, but won't break his back.
“Allows me to quickly, relatively quickly, and without hardly any back work, eliminate my dike.”
And that's exactly what people will find at today's show. These Big Bags take just a couple of minutes to set up and fill, and this 15 foot length is equal to 500 sandbags.
“Use the heavy machinery, use the equipment to get it filled, that way you save your back, you save time, tons and tons of time.”
The theme in all of these products is quickness, ease, and efficiency, and doing the job yourself. Almost every product here can be set up in minutes, and like these Tiger Dams, use water to fight water.
“One man can carry it, they weigh 60 pounds, take it there, unroll it, use a two inch pump, fill it up from the very water that's flooding you.”
Once these Tiger Dams are filled, they weigh three tons, vendors say they're much more reliable than a sandbag levy.
“This looks exactly the same whether it's a mile long or 100 miles long, it's continuous, there's no area of weakness on to it.”
As for Tom, who's sick of fighting the flood, the old way, he's taking a step into the future, hoping these new ideas will help make the flood fight of 2010, a lot easier. Mayor Walaker says unless the city sees a large flood event, there is no money to buy any of these products at today's show.
Tags: your city, christina vaughn, flood, business, fargo, news, expo
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