Abstract: A novel design and construction method for the creation of a Deployable Flexible Flood Mitigation Device manufactured from textile and membrane materials. The Flexible Flood Mitigation Device comprises a textile/membrane panel configured to be movable between an opened position and a closed position, wherein in the closed position, the panel forms a barrier against flood water; and a spool that is manually or electrically operated is used to move the panel from the closed position to the opened position. The spool can also be eliminated and the panel can be manually folded for storage. The Flexible Flood Mitigation Device can be configured for use in many applications including subway tunnels, vehicular tunnels, stairwells, ventilation shafts, and other openings that can be threatened by flooding. It can be used in any orientation (vertical, horizontal or at an angle with respect to gravity), and can stop fluids approaching from either side. It can also be shaped to fit any opening.

Abstract: A flood flaps vent for sealing a building crawlspace includes: (a) a vent box including open opposite front and rear ends forming a vent passageway in the vent box, the vent box including a top box portion and an opposite bottom box portion; (b) flexible flood flap hingably mounted to the vent box near the rear end of the vent box and constructed and arranged to permit the flexible flood flap to flex within the vent passageway to open the passageway; and (c) a grille that may be hingably mounted, the grille having openings therein for air and water flow through the grille, and positioned over the open front end of the vent box; the flood flap occluding the rear end of the vent box when it is in an at rest, home position. This simplified abstract is not intended to limit, and should not be interpreted as limiting, the scope of the claims.

Abstract: A sluice gate including a closure member comprising a sheet of flexible fabric reinforced polymeric material having pairs of reinforcing members extending horizontally across the sheet with one member of each pair located on the upstream side and the other on the downstream side of the sheet in use. The pairs of members are secured together with the flexible sheet between them and at least some of the members on the upstream side extend beyond the side edges of the sluice opening to be controlled and those on the downstream side are able to pass into the sluice opening. The sluice gate includes control means for drawing the lower end of the closure member upwardly and away from the opening to progressively open it and to allow the closure member to return progressively to the closed position.