by Dorothy Wallace, Live Easy & Ryan Kane, Structure Pros
Hurricanes Ian, Helene, and Milton produced flood waters that brought soaked drywall, ruined cabinets, displaced furniture, and the long, exhausting process of putting homes back together. Homeowners need realistic information to make smarter, calmer decisions going forward, based on how water actually behaves and how coastal homes are actually designed. Water always finds a way. No product can guarantee “zero flood damage”.
Flood protection isn’t about winning: it’s about losing less. Just a few feet of standing water exerts enormous pressure—often more than doors, walls, and slabs are designed to resist. That is why trying to seal an entire home like a submarine is not only unrealistic, it can be dangerous. Effective flood mitigation accepts a few uncomfortable truths: some water intrusion may still occur; protecting specific openings works better than trying to protect everything.
Some coastal homes are intentionally designed with blowout walls and frangible slabs at lower elevations, which are meant to fail under extreme water pressure so the main structure does not. This is not poor construction. It is a controlled sacrifice. Lower-level garages, storage areas, and open enclosures are often designed to relieve pressure and allow water to move through during surge events. Trying to fully block water in these areas can undermine the design intent and push destructive forces into columns, slabs, and elevated living spaces intended to remain protected.
Temporary flood barriers are exactly what they sound like—temporary. They provide a brief reprieve from symptoms but do not address the underlying risk. Think of them as a raincoat in a hurricane: better than nothing, but not something you count on to save the day.
Used properly, temporary barriers can reduce damage from shallow or short-duration flooding. Used improperly, they can redirect water into walls, under slabs, or through weaker penetrations. And when temporary systems fail, they often do so suddenly, turning a manageable situation into a fast-moving one.
Materials used for protecting openings need to be high-quality and strong. Engineered aluminum and heavy-duty stainless steel opening protection perform predictably under flood pressure. These systems resist deformation, maintain seals, and mechanically anchor into the structure in a controlled way. When properly designed, they reduce damage without interfering with the home’s intended behavior during flooding.
By contrast, lightweight plastic stands or braces (often resembling a lawn chair that’s missing its cushions) tend to flex under pressure. Flexing breaks seals. Broken seals invite water. These lightweight solutions are not ready for storm surge.
In the aftermath of recent storms, the flood-protection market has been loud. Inflatable tubes, water-filled socks, adhesive barriers, and one-size-fits-all solutions often look impressive.
Unfortunately, real storms bring uneven ground, sand, debris, and water that do not behave politely. More resistance is not always better. Blocking water without respecting structural limits or ignoring sacrificial design elements can increase hydrostatic pressure and lead to wall failure, slab uplift, or foundation damage. At that point, you haven’t prevented flooding; you’ve just increased the repair bill. The most successful flood mitigation strategies share a common approach that will help reduce damage:
• Properly sealed utility penetrations
• Elevated mechanical and electrical systems
• Drainage that helps water move away
• Protect critical openings, not entire structures, with rigid metal
• Respect blowout walls and frangible slabs
• Accept that water may still show up and plan for it
They don’t promise miracles, but they consistently reduce damage.
Flood barriers are tools, not guarantees. When chosen wisely and used with realistic expectations, they can meaningfully reduce damage. When driven by marketing claims or the hope of total dryness, they tend to disappoint. Resilience isn’t about beating the water: it’s about outsmarting it. Because in the end, the goal isn’t a perfectly dry house. The goal is a house that survives and recovers.
Dorothy Wallace has been part of Sanibel/Captiva since the 1950’s, when, as a child, she visited several times a year, until she moved to the islands permanently in 1990. Live Easy provides high-end property management for clients who want peace of mind from detailed attention by an expert team.
For questions and info: call 239-222-1005 or e-mail d@justliveeasy.com