FlowStop
in the media
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VERO BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — As we approach hurricane season, Indian River County officials are working to make sure the people who live there are ready. On Saturday, the county held its annual Disaster Preparedness Expo at the Jackie Robinson Training Complex in Vero Beach. The event is designed to raise awareness about making sure everyone is prepared for stormy weather and other potential local disasters. About 60 booths were spread out across the expo. Those who came heard from different agencies, companies, and non-profit organizations focused on disaster preparedness. Additionally, the CBS12 News’ meteorologists Vytas Reid and Michael Ehrenberg were also there to make sure the community has the most up-to-date information when it comes to hurricane season.
CALIFORNIA – FlowStop Industrie, a French provider of flood protection solutions, has launched its patented system in the U.S. market, offering defense against flooding for homes, businesses, and local municipalities. FlowStop is a flexible, reusable system that inflates and deploys within minutes, providing rapid protection for properties and critical infrastructure. “The U.S. is facing growing threats from flood damage, and traditional flood barriers are too expensive, heavy, and more often than not, require heavy modification to properties. These issues often make flood barrier protection inaccessible,” said the Managing Director for FlowStop USA, Alex Cammarano. “We are thrilled to bring FlowStop to the U.S. market, offering an easier, less expensive, and more reliable way for people to protect their properties from flood damage.” FlowStop’s inflatable design allows users to quickly install flood barriers in many framed opening—doors, windows, and garage entrances—without tools or heavy equipment. FlowStop barriers expand to form a watertight seal, blocking floodwaters. Once the flood threat subsides, the barriers can be deflated and stored for future use. FlowStop inflates and deploys in under 5 minutes, is lightweight (a 36” FlowStop for a door only weighs 7 lbs), and is easy to store. FlowStop is ordered to size, as tall or long as needed. Made from durable materials, FlowStop is designed for repeat use and is suitable for residential, commercial, and municipal applications. The company notes that the system is now available for purchase nationwide, with full customer support and installation guidance. “We’re proud to offer a product that really helps people and does so in a way that’s convenient, cost-effective, and sustainable,” said Bertrand Sylvestre, CEO of FlowStop Industrie. “We believe FlowStop will become a vital tool for flood preparedness worldwide.”
Naples restaurant owner prepares for hurricane season with new flood technology XeroFlood is an inflatable flood barrier that's made to fit the size of the opening. NAPLES, Fla. — Alberto Varetto, owner of Alberto's on Fifth in Naples, is taking proactive measures to protect his restaurant from future hurricane damage after experiencing devastating flooding three years ago during Hurricane Ian. The flooding completely devastated his restaurant, erasing his life's work. "It was bad," he said. In his recovery efforts, Varetto found sought out ways to prevent future flooding damage. Mark Crabtree, innovation director for Xero Technologies, has developed a custom-fit, inflatable barrier designed to protect doorways during floods. "It expands outward and pressurizes itself into the frame of the doorway," Crabtree said. The product is custom-built to fit any opening size. "It doesn't matter how big the opening is, how small the opening is, we build it to size," Crabtree said. Crabtree hopes other Naples businesses will follow Alberto's because, business is better when everyone is open. "If everybody floods, and he doesn't, then downtown Naples is going to be dead anyway," Crabtree said. "Which he doesn't want and nobody wants." With this new technology in place, Alberto can focus on what his passion, serving the people of Southwest Florida. He says, to start preparing now, long before any storm. "Don't wait until the hurricane will come, but start to work and get ready for it," Varetto said.
Flooding remains one of the most costly and devastating natural hazards globally, and Canada is no exception. Recent collaborative research led by Architecture Sans Frontières Québec (ASFQ) and the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) has conducted groundbreaking testing on residential flood defenses, offering valuable insights into how various flood protection methods perform under real-world conditions.
Homeowners turn to flood defence systems with government backing Financial support is available against extreme weather events Interest in flood defence systems for homes has risen following the government’s roll-out of financial aid to protect against extreme weather events. Doorway flood barriers, called batardeau, are proving especially popular – and are eligible for grants of up to 80% from the state under the Fonds Barnier scheme. Created in 1995, the fund was set up to protect people and property exposed to major natural hazards. It can be used by local authorities, small businesses, individuals, public land institutions, and government departments. (...) Another company, called FlowStop, offers inflatable barriers made from the same material as blow-up paddle boards. Award winning innovation Co-founder Bertrand Sylvestre-Boncheval says: “The system we patented has one bag that fills the space from side to side, and only after that is inflated is a second bag blown up, which seals the space at the bottom.” Like Isoflots, Flowstop has seen demand for its products, which are priced between €600 for a 90cm door to €1,800 for warehouse doors, rise sharply each year. More information on Fonds Barnier – officially called the fonds de prévention des risques naturels majeurs (FPRNM) – can be found here. For home owners in zones designated as being susceptible to flooding, the point of contact is the local direction départementale des territoires, a body usually attached to the prefecture. A request will result in a detailed audit of the risk of flooding (unless such a plan has already been carried out by the commune), which the state pays for. Only after this will the process move on to consideration of whether a batardeau will reduce the risk. If agreed that it will, the 80% funding can kick in. Other work that can be funded by the FPRNM includes installation of escape hatches in roofs, moving electricity boards to higher levels, or anchoring reservoirs used for oil-fired central heating systems so they do not float away and cause pollution.