Get free sandbags before a storm
Protect your property during severe rains with sandbags. Free, while supplies last.
Need to know
- Free
- Available from October to March
- Pick-up locations:
- Terra Linda Community Center: 670 Del Ganado Road
- Menzies parking lot (next to Falkirk Cultural Center): 1428 Mission Avenue
- Peacock Gap Park parking lot: 699 Biscayne Drive
Before you start
Prepare sandbags before the storm starts.
Sandbags can protect from up to two feet of water, but they don’t completely seal out water. Do not use straw bale barriers instead of sandbags.
Steps
1. Fill sandbags at the pick-up location
Fill sandbags halfway. Don’t overfill.
Tie the top of the bag, then fold the tied end down so it sits on top of the filled part of the bag.
2. Place them on your property
Make sure they face the direction water would come from (upstream or uphill).
- Lay the bags flat with the tied end tucked underneath
- Put the bags end to end in one row
- Then place a second row on top, staggering them like bricks
- Step on each bag to press it into place
If your sandbags are burlap, lightly sprinkle them with water once they’re set. Do not sprinkle plastic sandbags.
Before stacking sandbags at doorways, put a tarp or plastic sheet underneath and seal it to the doorway with tape.
Don’t set out sandbags too early. Rain, sun, or wind can damage them before you actually need them.
What's next
When storm season is over, keep the sandbags for next year or empty the sand in your backyard.