Protecting structures | Diverting water away from homes | Protection of slopes | Sandbagging | Sandbag construction | Sacramento-area sandbag locations | Other Sites

Protecting structures

Although each house is a unique situation, the following method is used for protection of buildings and other structures near creeks or lakes and in similar situations where water is rising with little or no current.

Lay plastic sheeting on the ground and up the building walls to a point at least one foot above the predicted water elevation, and far enough out on the ground to form a half pyramid of sandbags (see Figures 2 & 3). Secure plywood over doors and vents. Overlap plastic sheeting and sandbags at corners of buildings.

Diverting water away from homes

Homes may often be protected from flood water by redirecting the water flow as shown in Figure 4. The barriers will divert the water flow away from the structure. The sandbags or wooden barriers must be placed at an angle and must be long enough to divert the flowing water into the street gutter.

Protection of slopes

The "raincoat" method is used to prevent further saturation of levee or hillside slopes (see Figure 5). Plastic sheeting is laid out flat on the slope, and stakes are driven into the ground just above the area to be protected. The stakes are four feet apart with a one-foot stagger. The plastic sheeting is secured to the stakes with tie-down buttons or small round rocks and rope.

Use a crisscross method of tying off the sandbags or substitute tires if sandbags are not available. Place a solid row of sandbags on all edges of the plastic sheeting (half on the ground and half on the plastic sheeting).

Sandbagging

When filling sandbags, you should work in pairs with one person holding the bag while the other shovels in the fill material. The first shovel of fill will be placed on the lip of the bag to help hold the bag open. The shoveler should use rounded scoops of fill until the bag is approximately one-third to one-half full. A completely full bag of wet sand or soil will be too heavy to work with. While shoveling, avoid extra movements (turning or twisting of the back) as this will tire you out sooner. The bag holder should bend at the waist until the elbows are resting on the knees while he is holding the bag open (see Figure 7).

Sandbag construction

The use of sandbags is a simple but effective method of preventing or reducing damage from flood water or debris (see Figure 8).

Suggestions for constructing sandbags follow:

• Close-weave burlap bags are recommended for all sandbag construction.
• Fold over the empty top of the bag in a triangle to keep sand from leaking.
• Place each bag over the folded top of the preceding bag and stomp into place before placing the next layer of bags.
• Stagger the second layer of bags, stomping each bag into place before placing the next.
• Stomp each succeeding layer of bags.
  

Sacramento-area sandbag locations

Other sandbagging sites

How To Fill A Sandbag And How To Build A Sandbag Barrier (California Conservation Corps)
Sandbag Construction (Buffalo District, US Army Corps of Engineers) - includes construction of boil rings
Sandbagging for Flood Protection (North Dakota State University Extension Service)
Sandbag Guidelines for Homeowners (Santa Clara Valley Water District )
Filling, Stacking, and Placing Sandbags (City of Santa Cruz, California)
Sand Bags (Orange County, California)
Sandbagging - it is more than fill 'em up, stack 'em, and build a wall! (University of Idaho Cooperative Extension)