While people along the coast prepare for Hurricane Harvey, Lubbock business BJ’s Sand Baggers helped out in a different way, with nearly 400,000 pounds of sand. They collected their entire inventory to send down to aid the coast.
Owner Barry Joachim said the sandbags aim to redirect water and prevent flooding. They plan to send around 10,000 bags.
He utilizes Lubbock’s natural resource of wind, filling the bags with “blow sand,” brought in by wind gusts.
“Whenever we have like a big dust storm, I say to people, ‘Sorry, some people get their freight brought in by truck, some people have in brought in by boat. We get ours brought in by air,” Joachim said.
Joachim knows from personal experience how stressful flooding can be when it comes near a home or business.
“A few years ago my house flooding during a big rain, so I had to barricade the east side of my property,” Joachim said, after he went looking for sandbags himself. “The bags keep water out of people’s houses. Try to divert water away from property.”
So, he started a business himself. Now these types of sandbags are headed to Hurricane Harvey to help.
They have to bag it while it’s dry, so they are working quickly in case Lubbock gets rain.
Joachim said hopefully this little bit of Lubbock down on the coast will help prevent some damage.
