PUNTA GORDA, Fla. — Punta Gorda city officials have approved more than $420,000 for portable dams to protect city buildings from flooding during the upcoming hurricane season.
The investment comes after unprecedented storm surge flooded downtown areas during hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Watch Fox 4's Alex Orenczuk report on Punta Gorda's decision to purchase Tiger Dams ahead of hurricane season:
The city will deploy Tiger Dams — flexible, water-filled barriers designed to form temporary walls around critical facilities including City Hall, the Public Safety Complex, and the Herald Court Center.
"I'm very excited about the progress we're making - the lessons were learning from Helene and Milton taught us that we really need to do better to mitigate and protect our city facilities," said Greg Julian, Vice-Mayor of Punta Gorda.
The city council approved $420,953 for the dams and expects them to be deployed during major storms this hurricane season.
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