AquaDams are gigantic rubber tubes that serve as a water-filled alternative to sandbags. We wrote them up a few years ago, when Texas homeowner Randy Wagner used them to save his house during a flood:

Wagner paid $8,300 for the AquaDams, after calculating that flood damage to his home would far exceed that.

For less disastrous situations, there's now a smaller, portable and more affordable solution with a really smart design. Floodworx are 4-foot-long vinyl tubes that, like AquaDams, are filled with water.

These are ideal for sealing doorways or garages, and can also be used upstream to divert water of up to six inches in height.

The tubes can be bent, and they will hold their shape.

The clever design places the fill cap at one end of the tube, while the other end of the tube terminates in an open sleeve with a hole. This allows you to connect as many units as you like, using a clip around the fill cap to secure them.

The company refers to the smaller secondary chamber as a "brake." They prevent the units from rolling away.

To keep out taller amounts of water, the company says that you can stack a secondary layer (in pyramid form, i.e. supported by two layers below), increasing the water protection to one foot. Further stacking isn't recommended, so beyond a foot you're venturing into AquaDams territory.

One Floodworx barrier runs $44, and a four-pack goes for $150.