LAKE JACKSON, Texas – Brian Shandley said his neighbors thought he was crazy for building an Aqua Dam, but he said he was just getting prepared.
Now, Shandley looks like he lives on an island surrounded by water.
"I'm dry," Shandley said.
Shandly said he invested in the AquaDam last year after getting the idea from a friend in West Columbia.
"I told my wife, let's go get one of these dams and this just came from some rice farmers in El Campo," Shandley said.
The homeowner said he and friends worked nonstop, building the 750 feet inflatable water-filled barrier. It encloses the entire house that includes the wellhead, septic and all the bare essentials.
"I have eight sump pumps lined up on those PVC columns around the house and there are sump holes there. So, it's constantly going, because the water leeches underneath it," he said.
A labor-intensive task that Shandley said was worth every penny.
"It only cost me $1,200 to do that," he said.
Shandley said he feels for his neighbors.
"I feel bad for the people who don't have flood insurance, who've lost everything. I mean, my heart goes out to them, truly."
However, Shandley believes he's not out of the woods just yet. If the nearby levee rises about three more inches, he could be in the same boat.
"Hopefully, we can pump enough of that out," he said.
