Commercial Flood Solution Protects Bahamian Brewery from Hurricane Flooding
In 2019, Hurricane Dorian hit the Bahamas as a Category 5 Atlantic storm. It was the strongest ever to strike the island nation. The catastrophic storm brought devastating storm surge, high winds, and heavy rainfall. Loss of life and damages were estimated at over $3 billion (US dollars).
The Bahamian Brewery in Freeport was one of many businesses flooded by Dorian in 2019. That experience prompted the Brewery to seek a commercial flood solution to protect it from future storms.
The Brewery worked with National Flood Protection LLC, the national corporate partner and only authorized dealer for Flood Panel LLC, to design a system of Flood Logs™ and Flood Panels™ for 28 openings with a protection height of 4 feet
Hurricane Nicole Threatens the Bahamas
In November 2022 when Hurricane Nicole threatened the Bahamas, the Brewery was ready. The day before the storm was predicted to hit, the Brewery installed the new flood protection system. According to Donny Delahey, general manager for Grand Bahama Operations including the Brewery, “It was a straightforward process due to the ease of how the logs deploy and the training we received during the initial install.”
Fortunately, the Category 1 hurricane was less severe than expected with most of the storm’s impact on the opposite side of the island. Although the Brewery had no flooding this time, management was relieved to have the solution in place just in case.
Delahey added, “We are very happy with the product and the job that National Flood Protection did for us. From getting a structural engineer on board and supplying the flood barriers to installation and training, the entire process was seamless and efficient. I would highly recommend National Flood Protection and Flood Logs and Panels to others.”
Recently, Delahey invited other building owners in the Caribbean to the Brewery to share his experience and showcase the Flood Panel system. He says many are now considering the same commercial flood solution to protect their buildings from future storms.