Rapid deployment flood control system

Abstract

A flood control system involving a means of providing a plurality of lightweight, mobile but strong containers having a rigid bottom portion, rigid end panels and rigid sidewalls operably connecting the bottom portion and end panels. The system provides means of attaching the containers to one another. The system provides for a plurality of containers to be freely positioned at selected locations proximate to a rising water level in an abutting relationship to form a barrier. The system provides means for the containers to be self-filled with rising floodwater due to the increase pressure from the rise in the water level.

1 . A flood control method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) identifying a flood zone which is an area susceptible to flooding whereby the top surface of a body of water rises and the water flows into and onto, the flood zone;    (b) identifying a barrier zone within the flood zone for depositing a flood protection barrier between a rising body of floodwater and an that is not flooded area;    (c) providing a support surface within the barrier zone for depositing the flood protection barrier;    (d) providing a plurality of rigid containers having a bottom panel and a pair of end panels and rigid sidewalls operably connecting the bottom panel and end panels together;    (e) and rods, washers, and nuts operably connecting the side walls together;    (f) positioning the plurality of rigid containers in an empty state adjacent to one another in an abutting relationship on the support surface to form a barrier;    (g) providing a means of filling the empty containers;    (h) attaching at least one of the rigid containers to an adjacent rigid container;    (i) and providing a means of sealing the space between the adjacent containers to prevent the flow of water between the containers.    
   
   
       2 . A flood control apparatus comprising: 
 (a) providing a plurality of rigid containers each container including an outer movable plastic housing which is constructed of plastic pipe and metal frames and which is capable of being moved from location to location, and being attached to a second, adjacent movable plastic housing by two or more fasteners, the movable plastic housings having a bottom panel and a pair of end panels and rigid sidewalls operably connecting the bottom panel and end panels together;    (b) and rods, washers, and nuts operably connecting the side walls together;    (c) the rigid containers being placed end to end;    (d) rubber gaskets along the edges of the metal frame seal the gap between the attached containers;    (e) and the attached rigid containers form a barrier.    
   
   
       3 . A flood control apparatus of  claim 2  comprising: 
 (a) a plurality of rigid containers each container including an outer movable plastic housing which is constructed of plastic pipe and metal frames and which is capable of being moved from location to location, and being attached to a second, adjacent movable plastic housing by two or more fasteners, the movable plastic housings having a bottom panel and a pair of end panels and rigid sidewalls operably connecting the bottom panel and end panels together;    (b) and rods, washers, and nuts operably connecting the side walls together;    (c) a first rigid container being placed at right angle to a second rigid container along the edges;    (d) a right angle metal bracket of predetermined size and length is attached to the first and second rigid containers where the containers join;    (e) rubber gaskets along the edges of the metal frame seal the gap between the bracket and the attached containers    (f) and the bracket is attached to the containers by two or more fasteners.    
   
   
       4 . A flood control apparatus of  claim 2  comprising: 
 (a) a plurality of rigid containers each container having a bottom panel and a pair of end panels and rigid sidewalls operably connecting the bottom panel and end panels together;    (b) and rods, washers, and nuts operably connecting the side walls together;    (c) the rigid sidewalls operably connecting the bottom panel and end panels together to form a receptacle.    
   
   
       5 . A flood control apparatus of  2  comprising: 
 (a) providing a plurality of rigid containers each container including an outer movable plastic housing, the movable plastic housings having a bottom panel and a pair of end panels and rigid sidewalls operably connecting the bottom panel and end panels together;    (b) and rods, washers, and nuts operably connecting the side walls together;    (c) and a sidewall that is a front side facing the rising water having a water inlet pipe inserted through and sealed to it at a bottom corner and the front sidewall;    (d) and an inner bladder is placed on the inside of the outer housing and attached to the water inlet pipe;    (e) and the inner bladder is a constructed of a plastic membrane    (f) and a one-way flow control valve is attached to the water inlet pipe on the outside of the outer housing.    
   
   
       6 . A flood control method of  claim 1 , comprising the steps of: 
 (a) providing a plurality of rigid containers each container having a bottom panel and a pair of end panels and pair of rigid sidewalls operably connecting the bottom panel and end panels together;    (b) and rods, washers, and nuts operably connecting the side walls together;    (c) and which are capable of being moved from location to location;    (d) and the containers being configured so that they can be stacked thereby creating a stack of containers, the stack of containers being able to withstand compressive forces;    (e) and positioning the plurality of rigid containers at a selected location proximate to an area that is susceptible to flooding by a rising water level, the rigid containers being positioned as the selected location in an abutting relationship, to form a barrier, wherein the rigid containers being able to withstand compressive forces.    
   
   
       7 . A flood control method of  claim 1 , comprising the steps of: 
 (a) providing a plurality of rigid containers each container having a bottom panel and a pair of end panels and pair of rigid sidewalls operably connecting the bottom panel and end panels together;    (b) and rods, washers, and nuts operably connecting the side walls together;    (c) and which are capable of being moved from location to location;    (d) and the containers being configured so that they can be stacked thereby creating a stack of containers, the stack of containers being able to withstand compressive forces,    (e) and positioning the plurality of rigid containers at a selected location proximate to an area that is susceptible to flooding by a rising water level, the rigid containers being positioned as the selected location in an abutting relationship to form a barrier, wherein the rigid containers being able to withstand compressive forces;    (f) additionally comprising the step of inserting bladders on the inside of the rigid containers and attaching them to the water inlet pipes;    (g) then self-filling the bladders with the rising water as the water level of the rising water increases.    
   
   
       8 . A flood control method of  claim 1 , comprising the steps of: 
 (a) providing a plurality of rigid containers each container having a bottom panel and a pair of end panels and pair of rigid sidewalls operably connecting the bottom panel and end panels together;    (b) and rods, washers, and nuts operably connecting the side watts together;    (c) and which are capable of being moved from location to location;    (d) and the containers being configured so that they can be stacked thereby creating a stack of containers, the stack of containers being able to withstand compressive forces;    (e) and positioning the plurality of rigid containers at a selected location proximate to an area that is susceptible to flooding by a rising water level, the rigid containers being positioned as the selected location in an abutting relationship, to form a barrier, wherein the rigid containers being able to withstand compressive forces    (f) additionally comprising the step of inserting bladders on the inside of the rigid containers and attaching them to the water inlet pipes:    (g) then manually filling of the bladders with water.    
   
   
       9 . A flood control method of  claim 1 , comprising the steps of: 
 (a) providing a plurality of rigid containers each container having a bottom panel and a pair of end panels and pair of rigid sidewalls operably connecting the bottom panel and end panels together;    (b) and rods, washers, and nuts operably connecting the side walls together;    (c) and which are capable of being moved from location to location;    (d) and the containers being configured so that they can be stacked thereby creating a stack of containers, the stack of containers being able to withstand compressive forces,    (e) and positioning the plurality of rigid containers at a selected location proximate to an area that is susceptible to flooding by a rising water level, the rigid containers being positioned as the selected location in an abutting relationship, to form a barrier, wherein the rigid containers being able to withstand compressive forces    (f) then filling of the rigid containers with solid material e.g. dirt, sand, gravel, etc.    
   
   
       10 . A flood control method of  claim 1 , comprising the steps of: 
 (a) providing rubber gaskets which are sealed along the edges of the metal frames;    (b) positioning the plurality of rigid containers at a selected location proximate to an area that is susceptible to flooding by a rising water level, the rigid containers being positioned as the selected location in an abutting relationship, to form a barrier, and    (c) wherein the step of sealing the space between the rigid containers positioned at the selected location in an abutting relationship includes tightening fasteners on the containers.