Pasco County, Garrison Flood Control stage live flood barrier demo in Hudson

Pasco County Emergency Management and Garrison Flood Control hosted a live flood protection demonstration Oct. 19 in Hudson, Florida, drawing more than 65 local officials and emergency personnel. The event showcased flood barriers and water management systems aimed at helping communities protect homes, businesses and critical infrastructure before the next storm.

Why it matters: - Flood mitigation planning is shifting toward hands-on demonstrations that help local decision-makers compare products before an emergency. - The Hudson event focused on practical tools for protecting homes, businesses and critical infrastructure across Florida communities facing rising flood risk. - Certified Floodplain Managers at the event earned continuing education credits, adding professional training value to the demonstration.

What happened: - Pasco County Department of Emergency Management co-hosted a live Flood Protection Product Demonstration with Garrison Flood Control on Monday, Oct. 19, 2026, at Arthur F. Engle Memorial Park in Hudson, Florida. - The sold-out event drew more than 65 county personnel and professionals, including municipal leaders, floodplain managers, fire marshals, local officials, parks and recreation teams and medical facility directors. - Arnon Rosan, president and CEO of Garrison Flood Control, led product demonstrations and walked attendees through system functionality, applications, testing, engineering and capabilities. - Tampa Bay-area media also covered the event, including an interview with Rosan about accessible flood protection solutions.

The details: - The demonstration featured more than 10 flood mitigation and water diversion systems from Garrison Flood Control's portfolio. - Hammerhead Aluminum Flood Panel System uses stackable aluminum flood logs for entryways, garages and other openings. - The Hammerhead Flood Plank System is FM Approved to meet ANSI/FM 2510 approval standards. - Mayim and Mayim MAX Temporary Flood Barriers are portable, interconnecting barriers designed to contain, mitigate and redirect rising floodwaters. - MAKO Inflatable Flood Barriers pressurize within openings to help prevent floodwater intrusion. - Guppy and Guppy MAX Flood Tubes are water-filled barriers for temporary, flexible property protection. - BlueFIN Perimeter Flood Walls are modular composite flood panels built for larger-scale perimeter protection. - YellowFIN Flood Panels are direct-mount systems for doorways, windows, garages and other vulnerable openings. - Stingray Water Dams are self-rising systems designed to create an automatic barrier against incoming floodwater. - Minnow Gel-Filled Water-Absorbing Flood Bags are a sandbag alternative with compact storage and no-mess cleanup after a flood. - One pallet can hold up to 1,200 Minnow Bags, compared with 60 sandbags. - Attendees observed different flood barrier configurations and discussed how protection strategies can be adapted to varying property layouts, infrastructure needs and flood exposure scenarios. - Garrison Flood Control said the event gave attendees a chance to examine new flood protection technologies and learn deployment procedures directly from specialists.

Between the lines: - The event reflects a broader push to bring mitigation planning closer to the local officials who would need to act before a flood. - Garrison framed the demonstration as part education and part relationship-building with public- and private-sector buyers. - The focus on inter-agency collaboration suggests county emergency managers are looking for reusable, scalable solutions rather than one-size-fits-all products.

What's next: - Garrison Flood Control says it will continue working with municipalities, emergency management organizations, commercial property owners and homeowners across Florida and the U.S. to identify and implement flood mitigation systems. - The company said it remains a resource for public and private organizations seeking proactive flood protection planning. - Garrison also noted it holds government cooperative purchasing contracts with agencies including Sourcewell, TIPS-USA, Pinellas County Emergency Management and Canadian SOSA.

The bottom line: - The Hudson demo turned flood preparedness into a live buying-and-training exercise for local officials, with Garrison Flood Control positioning its systems as ready-made tools for the next storm.