Jacqueline Crea

KHOU-TV, Houston





ROSHARON, Texas - Of the thousands of homes evacuated and damaged by flooding in Brazoria County, one family’s home is high and dry.

When Brazos River Authority warned residents of the potential for massive flooding, homeowner Randy Wagner decided to take a chance on an install-it-yourself dam he found online.

“To not know what that level was going to stop at, I needed to prepare for something that no one has seen,” said Wagner.

Wagner said he drove to Louisiana and purchased an AquaDam. With the help of two men, he filled up the AquaDam's 400-feet of 30-inch high tubes made of plastic and fabric with water.

“I was the crazy guy. Everybody was kinda going by, laughing at me. But today they are really impressed with this AquaDam,” said Wagner.

He and his family stayed, waited and watched as the water rose to 27 inches, but never seeped through the barriers. The product cost him a little over $8,000, but he told KHOU-TV it was well worth his sanity.

“$8,300 is to me a small investment on a house that could have two feet of water in it and cost me $150,000 in repairs.” he said.

Now he has a place to come home to and hopes that others will learn from the chance he took on a company he found online.

“Emergency management could use it. I remember when Addicks reservoir was going over Highway 6. It could’ve been used.” he said.