Foley Residents Fill Free Sandbags as Tropical Depression Nine Threatens More Flooding

FOLEY, Ala. — Foley residents lined up Tuesday morning to fill free sandbags behind the city’s old Public Works building, getting a head start on protecting their homes as a tropical system in the Gulf threatened to bring more heavy rain to Baldwin County later this week.

The City of Foley is supplying sand, bags and shovels at no cost. For many of the people filling bags Tuesday, the effort was driven by experience, whether from past hurricanes or from the flooding and road closures that hit parts of Foley just last weekend.

Lessons From Sally, Ivan and Last Weekend

Jenny Williamson knows firsthand what tropical systems can do along the Alabama coast.

“This house flooded during Sally, and we lost a place during Ivan in Orange Beach,” Williamson said as she filled her bags.

Both storms are etched in local memory. Hurricane Ivan made landfall near Gulf Shores as a Category 3 storm in September 2004, and Hurricane Sally came ashore near Gulf Shores as a slow-moving Category 2 hurricane in September 2020, dumping torrential rain across Baldwin County.

Paul Smith, who does not live near a body of water, said even a smaller storm has caused him trouble.

“The last time we had a little storm, (it) flooded the office and my shop and our sunroom,” Smith said.

Leanne Garcia said last weekend’s rain was her wake-up call.

“Last weekend, our whole subdivision flooded,” Garcia said. “The water was coming close to the front of my door, so this was kind of like, hey, maybe we should prepare for this coming up weekend.”

Garcia lives near a drain where water can push into her yard. She plans to place her sandbags in front of her doorway and garage.

“I want to block it, basically my doorway, my garage, for water coming into my house,” she said.

Better Safe Than Sorry

For Lester Tupper, who moved to Baldwin County four months ago, Tuesday was a crash course in Gulf Coast storm preparation.

“Just trying to keep it out of the house,” Tupper said.

He got some help figuring out how much he would need. “Gentleman here told me how many bags I should probably have; that’s what I’m doing,” he said.

His math: “15 per garage door, and 15 per door, so that comes to about 50.”

Williamson took a more modest approach, mindful of her neighbors.

“Probably get 10,” she said. “I hope that is not too many. I don’t want to take from someone else if they need it.”

Smith said he does not usually go to the trouble, but this system had his attention.

“Unless it’s bad, we don’t do anything,” Smith said. “Yeah, but this one looks like it very well could be bad.”

Filling Bags for a Neighbor

Not everyone at the site was filling bags for themselves. Hunter Jones said the retention pond in his neighborhood handled last weekend’s water, but he learned that a neighbor’s home sits lower than the rest and faces a greater risk of flooding.

“We found out we had a neighbor that had a low-lying home, and it has a higher chance of flooding than the rest of the homes,” Jones said. “I just love to serve and help out when I’m able.”

Jones encouraged others to act early and to think about the people around them.

“Just go ahead and do it, get it out of the way and maybe get a few extras in case you find somebody that needs them,” Jones said. “I think preparation and thinking of other people is the best method.”

Where to Get Sand in Foley

• Location: The old Public Works facility, 120 E. Orchid Ave.
• Access: Use the north gate at the east end of E. Marigold Ave., behind South Baldwin County United Way.
• What’s provided: Sand, sandbags and shovels. Residents fill their own bags on site.

Residents can check the City of Foley and Foley Police Department social media pages for updates on sandbag distribution and road closures.

Foley Police: Stay Off Flooded Roads

Foley Police are urging drivers to avoid unnecessary travel during heavy rain, follow posted road closures and never drive through flooded roads or standing water when the pavement cannot be seen.

That advice reflects long-standing National Weather Service guidance: just 6 inches of moving water can knock an adult off their feet, and about a foot of moving water can float many vehicles. Floodwater can also hide washed-out pavement and debris.

What Forecasters Expect

The system that prompted the rush for sand became Tropical Depression Nine on Tuesday afternoon. The National Hurricane Center said it could strengthen into Tropical Storm Isaias early Wednesday and a hurricane on Thursday before turning toward the northern Gulf Coast, with Friday into early Saturday shaping up as the main window for impacts. The hurricane center said 3 to 6 inches of rain, with isolated totals up to 10 inches, are possible from southeastern Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle, and the ground in many areas is still saturated from last weekend.

Tips for Using Sandbags

As general background, emergency management agencies commonly recommend filling sandbags only about half to two-thirds full so they lie flat and pack tightly, staggering them like bricks and pressing them firmly into place. Sandbags slow and redirect shallow water but do not make a home waterproof, so it is still wise to move valuables off the floor and have a plan to leave if water rises.

For the residents scooping sand behind the old Public Works building, the reasoning was simple. Tropical systems usually give days of warning, and along the Gulf Coast, using that time to prepare for the worst while hoping for the best is simply part of life.