Engineered removable flood walls and flood protection barriers, designed and manufactured in the United States. Hundreds of installations coast to coast.
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27 Years of Removable Flood Walls · 100% Made in America · ASFPM Corporate Partner · Hundreds of Installations Coast to Coast
Introduction
Flood Control America has been designing and manufacturing removable flood wall barriers since 1997, pioneering demountable flood protection in the United States. This page is your central resource for the full family of flood barrier systems FCA engineers, manufactures, and installs: from single-opening stop logs to civil-level perimeter flood walls.
Whether you are evaluating site conditions, required barrier height, or the right system for your property type, the sections below walk through every option and route you to the detailed product and application pages that answer your specific questions.
What Are Flood Barriers?
Flood barriers are engineered systems that prevent floodwaters from entering buildings, perimeters, and critical infrastructure. They work by sealing entryways or forming perimeter walls that redirect rising water away from vulnerable areas.
Flood barriers fall into three broad categories:
- Permanent structures: concrete floodwalls, levees, and storm surge gates built into the landscape.
- Traditional temporary measures: sandbags and water-filled tubes, which are labor-intensive and offer limited reliability.
- Removable (demountable) flood barriers: systems with permanently installed frames and channels that accept engineered panels only when a flood event is forecast. Invisible when not deployed; structural-grade when they are.
Flood Control America is the original U.S. pioneer of demountable flood barriers. Our Invisible Flood Control Wall™ (IFCW™) has been accepted for use by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and is in service on Corps projects across the country. Typical applications include cities, federal landmarks, universities, airports, and commercial properties in flood-prone coastal, riverfront, and inland locations.
Explore Our Flood Barrier Solutions
Every FCA system is part of a single engineering platform that scales from protecting one doorway to forming continuous, civil-level perimeter flood walls. Explore each product category below.
Why Flood Control America
- The Original: FCA pioneered demountable flood barriers in the U.S. and remains the industry leader in large-scale, civil-level removable flood walls. Nearly three decades of real-world deployment.
- 100% Made in America: All components and source materials are American-made, with a reliable supply chain, faster lead times, products built to U.S. engineering standards.
- Deep Engineering Expertise: Staff experience spans civil engineering, tunnel engineering, heavy machinery, and systems technologies. Every project receives custom engineering tailored to site-specific conditions.
- ASFPM Corporate Partner: Nearly two decades of partnership with the Association of State Floodplain Managers, keeping FCA products aligned with FEMA and NFIP policy changes.
- Coast-to-Coast Track Record: Hundreds of installations across federal landmarks, university campuses, regional airports, municipalities, and downtown commercial districts.
Industries We Protect
The right flood barrier depends on what you're protecting. Each industry has unique requirements, from uninterrupted patient care to preserving critical infrastructure. Explore our industry-specific solutions:
How Removable Flood Barriers Work
FCA's system operates on a straightforward principle: install permanent components once, deploy removable components only when a flood event is forecast.
- Permanent components (steel or aluminum channel frames, anchor points, and flush thresholds) are installed into the site’s foundation once, then remain hidden between events.
- Removable components (engineered aluminum planks, wall sections, and seal assemblies) are stored on-site. When flooding threatens, trained personnel insert the panels into pre-installed channels and stack to the required height.
- After the event, the system disassembles and returns to storage. Every component is reusable across multiple deployments.
- The system is customizable for doors, windows, utility penetrations, and vehicle access points, addressing the weak points that permanent structures often miss.
For a full technical walkthrough, visit our How Our Flood Protection Works page.
Featured Projects
FCA's portfolio spans hundreds of installations, from the world's most recognized landmarks to regional airports and university campuses.
World Trade Center Removable Flood Wall
Large-scale demountable flood wall protecting one of the most iconic sites in the world, engineered for coastal storm surge in Lower Manhattan.
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World Trade Center Perelman Performing Arts Center
Custom flood barriers integrated into a landmark cultural venue without compromising architectural design.
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Holman Field, St. Paul Downtown Airport
The largest American-made removable flood wall installation in the U.S., spanning runways along the Mississippi River.
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East Grand Forks, MN (Downtown riverfront)
Perimeter flood wall system protecting a community with a history of severe riverine flooding.
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140 West, New York, NY
Removable flood protection for a commercial property in one of Manhattan's most flood-vulnerable locations.
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University of Iowa (Art Building West)
Flood barriers safeguarding irreplaceable art collections and academic infrastructure on a major university campus.
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Fargo, North Dakota
Civil-level flood barriers for a city that faces recurring annual spring flood threats from the Red River.
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Coralville, IA
Thousands of linear feet of removable flood wall protecting the city, including the Iowa River Power Restaurant.
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Valley City, ND
Removable flood wall system protecting a North Dakota community from repeated river flood events.
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Partnerships and Compliance
Flood Control America has maintained a corporate partnership with the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) for nearly two decades. ASFPM is the leading professional organization in U.S. floodplain management, working directly with FEMA and shaping the policies that govern the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
FCA's Invisible Flood Control Wall™ meets U.S. Army Corps of Engineers criteria for flood walls. Our designs reference FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps and are engineered to comply with the dry floodproofing principles supported by FEMA and the NFIP. For buyers, this means compliance peace of mind: products that evolve alongside federal flood protection policy, on every project from municipal infrastructure to private commercial properties.
FAQs
What are flood barriers?
Flood barriers are engineered structures or systems designed to prevent floodwaters from entering protected areas. They range from permanent concrete walls and storm surge gates to removable demountable systems that combine permanent foundation frames with deployable panels. At the property and building scale, flood barriers function by sealing entryways or forming perimeter walls to block surface water during flood events.
What is a removable flood wall?
A removable flood wall is a demountable barrier system with permanently installed structural elements (channel frames, anchor points, and flush thresholds) and removable panels deployed only when flooding threatens. FCA’s Invisible Flood Control Wall™ is the original U.S.-engineered removable flood wall: invisible when stored, structural-grade when deployed, and accepted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Are removable flood barriers reusable?
Yes. FCA’s systems are designed for repeated deployment and built from durable, corrosion-resistant aluminum. After each event, components return to storage. Seals and hardware are inspected and replaced as needed to maintain watertight performance across the full service life of the system.
What is the difference between removable flood barriers and sandbags?
Sandbags require significant labor to fill, place, and dispose of after an event, and offer inconsistent sealing. FCA’s engineered removable flood walls deliver structural-grade protection at design heights of several feet, with reliable watertight seals and a fully reusable system, eliminating the recurring cost and labor burden of sandbag operations.
Are FCA flood barriers made in America?
Yes. All components and source materials are 100% American-made. This ensures reliable supply chains, faster lead times, and products built to U.S. engineering and manufacturing standards.
What is a perimeter flood wall?
A perimeter flood wall is a continuous barrier system that surrounds an entire property, campus, or district, forming an unbroken line of flood protection. FCA’s removable perimeter walls combine permanent channel frames with demountable panels to create a sealed barrier of the required height and length around the entire protected zone.
What is flood proofing?
Flood proofing is the process of making a building or structure resistant to flood damage by sealing all penetration points, including doors, windows, utility entries, and vents, with engineered barriers. FCA’s flood proofing systems address every opening with customized solutions, from stop logs and flood shields to full removable wall sections.
Is FCA aligned with federal flood protection standards?
Yes. FCA’s Invisible Flood Control Wall™ meets U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ criteria for flood walls. FCA is also a corporate partner of ASFPM, and our systems are designed to meet or exceed design flood elevations specified on FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps.
How long has Flood Control America been in business?
FCA has been designing, manufacturing, and installing removable flood barriers since 1997, with nearly three decades of experience with hundreds of installations coast to coast.
How do I get a quote for a flood barrier system?
Contact our team for a free consultation. Every site is different: flood elevation, opening count, barrier length, soil conditions, and regulatory requirements all factor into the design. We engineer a custom solution for your specific project. Call us at 888-421-2796 or request a consultation online.