Emergency Services Safeguard Alpine Town from Flash Flood with NOAQ® BOXWALL™
On July 17–18, 2021, severe storms and torrential downpours struck the Austrian alpine town of Kufstein. The simultaneous overflow of three urban streams—the Kienbach, Kreuzbach, and Mitterndorfer Bach—triggered major flash floods. Fast-flowing surface water inundated streets, threatening municipal infrastructure, underground parking garages, commercial buildings, and residential properties.
| Date & Location | July 17 - 18, 2021 in Kufstein, Austria |
| Flood Threat | Flash flooding caused by heavy rainfall overwhelming streams and stormwater system |
| What Needed Protecting? | Infrastructure, underground parking garages, properties |
| Mitigation Solution | NOAQ Boxwall BW50-series |
| Protection Height | 50 cm |
| Application | Flood diversion and redirection |
The Need: A Rapid & Flexible Flood Control System
Fast rising and flowing floodwaters made traditional sandbagging non-viable due to the extreme speed of the onset. Kufstein’s Emergency Fire and Rescue services urgently required a mobile flood control system that was easy to transport and rapid to deploy. The ideal solution needed to allow for immediate setup during active flash floods while containing, controlling, and safely redirecting high-velocity water away from vulnerable assets.
The Mitigation Solution: NOAQ BOXWALL BW50-series
Emergency crews strategically deployed approximately 200 linear meters of the 50 cm high NOAQ Boxwall BW50 system. Positioned along both sides of the affected street, the mobile flood barriers created a temporary channel to contain and redirect surface water down a controlled path.
The Result: Flood Diverted & Town Safeguarded
The temporary channel safely redirected floodwaters past several exposed underground garages and away from vulnerable businesses and homes, and into a nearby river, preventing large scale damage to structures, private assets, and municipal infrastructure. Once the threat passed, emergency crews quickly dismantled and recovered the barriers—eliminating the high post-flood disposal and cleanup labour and costs typically associated with traditional sandbags.
The Deployment Numbers
| Protection Length | Approximately 200 linear meters |
| Number of Deployers | Small crew of emergency responders |
| Deployment Time | 100x faster than sandbags |
| Sandbags Replaced | Approximately 16,000 |
Impact Delivered
- Effectively controlled flood threat.
- Protected infrastructure, commercial buildings, and residential property.
- Limited repair costs and impact on local economy.
- Reduced response times and personnel requirements.
- No post-flood contaminated cleanup operation.
- Strengthened civil resilience.
Risk of Inaction
- Elevated risk of infrastructure and property damage.
- Increased disruption to public infrastructure due to long-term downtime.
- Prolonged deployment restricting personnel availability for other incidents.
- Negative public feedback regarding civil protection.
Procurement History and Adoption
The Kufstein Fire Department was an early adopter of mobile flood barriers, procuring the NOAQ Boxwall BW50 system in 2014 as an alternative to sandbagging. Following its successful performance during the July 2021 flood, the district expanded its inventory with the updated, compatible BW52 system to standardize regional flood resilience. This expansion enables local and neighbouring fire departments to deploy a scalable, integrated mitigation response to future flood events.
How NOAQ BOXWALL Works
NOAQ Boxwall is a modular, free-standing, self-anchoring mobile flood barrier system designed for rapid deployment on even surfaces like asphalt, concrete, and tarmac. It uses innovative an design to deliver fast, effective, and reliable flood protection:
- The Bookend Principle: Swedish flood technology invented by NOAQ's founder in 1995. It uses the weight and downward pressure of rising floodwater to anchor the barrier firmly to the ground, remaining stable even when overtopped.
- Tool-Free Assembly: Features a simple integrated coupling and locking mechanism for quick connection without tools or technical training. This allows a two-person team to deploy hundreds of meters of flood protection in minutes.
- Built-In Flexibility: Enables the barrier to form gradual curves and handle slight terrain gradients. Connected components can still be easily adjusted and repositioned.
- Modular Mobile System: Allows the barrier to easilt navigate urban environments and avoid obstacles along the defense line. Its mobile design effectively holds back rising water and diverts fast-flowing surface runoff.
Let’s Start Your Flood Preparedness Journey
Don’t wait for the next heavy downpour and extreme flood threat to test your emergency response plan. Protect your community before the water arrives by contacying our flood preparedness experts today.