Hurricane Helene hit Florida’s Big Bend region as a Category 4 hurricane with 140 mph winds. So far, 33 fatalities have been reported. And while there has been widespread flooding, including the heavily populated cities of Tampa and St. Petersburg, Tampa General Hospital, situated right along Tampa Bay, has managed to stay dry.
That’s due to a 5- to 10-foot high barrier known as an AquaFence, which is going viral on several platforms because of how it seems to have protected the region’s only Level 1 trauma center.
As #HurricaneHelene continues, the AquaFence at TGH stands firm. The water-impermeable barrier is designed to withstand storm surge up to 15 feet. It has worked through multiple rain events to prevent storm waters from impacting hospital operations. #WeAreTGH #StormWatch pic.twitter.com/papsd6oPg2
— Tampa General Hospital (@TGHCares) September 27, 2024
AquaFence was founded in 1999 and has offices in Norway and New Jersey. According to the company’s website, its systems are “protecting more than $30 billion worth of real estate in the United States alone,” including everything from hotels to gas stations to a Shake Shack.
The product is designed to be installed quickly and (fairly) easily. In 2023, AquaFence USA President Thomas Briedis told local outlet, WTSP Tampa 10, that 100 feet of AquaFence can be installed in 30 minutes.
“They come folded together, kind of like a laptop,” he said. “You take them out of the crate, put them down and they fold open.”
Briedis also said that the company is working on a line of residential AquaFences, which would cost around $20,000. The barriers are designed to protect in a Category 5 hurricane.
“We are very confident in the system. It was been thoroughly tested,” Briedis told the outlet.