United Kingdom builder Andrew Parker has developed tech that pulls the pant legs up for homes during floods.
The result is the Hadley FloodSAFE House, a modular-designed home with a jack system (which has been called FloodJack) that lifts the house when flood waters rise, lowering it again when the threat has passed, per Flood Technology Group's website.
Now, Parker intends for the group (an association of businesses and experts) to become a leading "authority" in flood technology, TheBusinessDesk.com, an online business news site, reports.
"By working together, we're using our collective knowledge and experience in the rapidly evolving flood technology field to develop and champion flood adaptive technology that will future-proof people's homes against the increased flood risk posed by our changing climate," Parker said in the Desk story.
The jack is impressive. Sensors around the home detect when water is rising, triggering the lift. It takes action within 15 seconds. The home is raised up to nearly 5 feet above the water. When the flood recedes, the home is lowered, all per a description on the group's website.
The number of people "exposed to floods" around the world has risen by 20% to 24% between 2000 and 2015. That is 10 times greater than what was predicted, according to NASA.
While experts can't link every flood to the overheating planet, NASA scientists report that higher mercury around the globe is increasing the "frequency and intensity" of severe weather.
Staying up-to-date about organizations that are tackling the problem and about tech innovations like Parker's FloodSAFE House can help to keep you prepared. You can even find ways to help slow the warmup as part of the effort to prevent worst-case climate scenarios from coming to fruition.
For Parker's part, he sees his tech going beyond homes. Utility, transportation, commercial, and industrial settings could all benefit from a lift during floods, he claims. The website touts a "multi-purpose Flood Adaptive Platform."
"There's huge scope for it to protect a vast range of infrastructure across many different sectors," Parker said in the Desk's story.
It's an idea born from personal experience. In 2012, he witnessed friends and family suffer from flood waters, per the Desk. Since then, he has been working to find a way to protect them and others from rising waters.
He said the tech has already proved its worth by saving homes and property. Now, he aims to expand the impact.
"Its potential is limitless," he said in the Desk's report.
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