Demand flooding in for Yorkshireman’s
sandless sandbags

WHEN Superstorm Sandy hit the US last year, dozens of people relied on sandless sandbags from Yorkshire to protect their homes from flooding.

The self-inflating FloodSax are set to secure more orders in the US after impressing two US 
Olympic sailors who have a flair for business.

The FloodSax were created by Huddersfield-based entrepreneur Richard Bailey, the managing director of Environmental Defence Systems, who believes the product has the potential to secure large sales in the US.

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In October, a wall of FloodSax saved properties from flooding when the Delaware River rose as Hurricane Sandy struck the New York area.

Residents feared the water would flood basements in their homes that are only around 100ft from the river in the Old New Castle area, close to the New Jersey border in Delaware.

So they turned to Jonathan Cochran who owns Cochran and Son plumbing and construction company for help. He saved eight homes by building walls of FloodSax to keep the water out.

FloodSax look like large pillowcases and weigh just seven ounces until they are activated by soaking them in water.

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The gelling polymer inside them absorbs the water. In around three minutes they become even more effective than traditional sandbags.

The Florida-based brother and sister team of Paige and Zach Railey – who are both world-class sailors – have set up a company called High Water Flood Group in their home state to sell Floodsax.

Mr Bailey said yesterday: “It’s amazing how the FloodSax have now gone global.”