A brief history of flood barriers

A brief history of flood barriers

4 minute read

Floods are natural disasters that happen worldwide. Although recently their frequency is increasing dramatically due to climate change and global warming, humanity has been familiar with floods and their consequences centuries ago. That is why flood barriers are among the earliest human inventions.

Flood barriers are supposed to prevent water from getting into a residential or business area, causing destruction and losses. The principle of flood control is pretty straightforward. However, the barriers have gone a long way from their invention to modern design.

Let`s have a brief overview of the flood control history.

flood barriers

When people learned to control floods?

Floods have been accompanying mankind throughout its whole history. People always preferred to settle next to rivers and other water bodies as it provided the best condition for agriculture and the most efficient transportation for that time.

Unfortunately, for the very same reason, flooding has always been the #1 natural disaster that our ancestors suffered from.

People always understood that water can be a source of life as well as destruction. That is why they tried to control it since the dawn of times.

However, the best-known examples of flood barriers that are closest to those that we know and use date today back to the 500BC territory of the Netherlands. Over 60% of that land border the Atlantic ocean, which initially made it one of the crucial transportation and trade knots. However, most of the territory appears located way under sea level. Add to this a pretty flat terrain, and you get a land incredibly prone to flooding.

However, the strategic significance of the Netherlands became a reason why the whole world has somehow contributed to the development of efficient flood barriers for this land. 

Historical documents and archaeological records point that the first dikes were built here at the beginning of the XIII century. Technically a dike is a massive flood barrier built out of stones, sand, clay and other materials. It is aimed to stop flooding water and correct its stream. You may see examples of dikes today in the French Quater of New Orleans, where they protect the area from the waters of the Mississippi River.

Later on, dikes evolved into polders - flood barriers that restrain the floodwater and controlled it. Built around certain segments of lakes, they make excessive water evaporate or soak into the soil, making it fruitful. They are also used to drain water, prevent floods, and even change rivers` natural streams, directing them away from towns and settlements.

Modern flood barriers.

Despite the efficiency of dikes and polders, people soon discovered that they don`t guarantee 100% protection from the disaster for the whole population. Moreover, they are massive, hard and expensive to build and almost impossible to adjust if the landscape changes due to earthquakes, other natural reasons or human impact.

Smaller-scale individual flood barriers are essential for the protection and development of local communities. Initially, people were simply copying the idea of building dikes around their own houses out of sandbags. However, this technology is still widely used all over the world.

However, progress is moving forward, and modern flood barriers are innovative solutions that save your property and your time and energy while you purchase and install them.

Contact Dam Easy now and learn about our innovative flood control solutions. Our experts will answer all your questions and arrange a personalized kit according to your property`s measurements, frequency and severity of floods in your area.

Flood control has always been a crucial matter for humanity, and the invention of flood barriers secured the life and prosperity of future generations. Taking care of flood prevention for your own house or business today, you guarantee the safety and wellbeing of your whole family. 

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