Flood Risk America Launches New Test Facility to Prove Flood Products Perform Under Real-World Pressure

LAKE WORTH, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 3, 2026--

Flood Risk America (FRA), a national leader in flood protection products, announced the opening of a new in-house test facility dedicated to putting its flood barriers, panels, and gates through the same punishing conditions they face during an actual flood event. The facility marks a significant investment in a discipline that remains rare in the flood protection industry: proving that a product works before it is ever installed on a building.

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Why an in-house test facility matters

Much of the flood protection sold in North America is manufactured overseas and shipped here to be distributed with little or no independent testing behind it, leaving property owners, engineers, and architects to discover a product's real limits during the worst possible moment.

Flood Risk America built its test facility to eliminate that gamble. Every FRA product is engineered, tested, and refined in-house, so that the performance claims made on paper are backed by measurable results in controlled conditions.

"Anyone can print a spec sheet," said Stephen Gill, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Flood Risk America. "We wanted to be able to look an engineer or a building owner in the eye and say we have already flooded this product, on purpose, and it held."

What FRA tests for

The facility subjects FRA's flood protection systems to a battery of conditions designed to mirror and exceed real-world flooding:

Testing drives continuous innovation

The purpose of the facility is not simply to pass or fail a product - it is to make every product better. When testing reveals any seepage or weakness, FRA's design and engineering team goes back to work: refining the seal, improving material quality, and adding water-tight features until the system meets the company's zero-seepage standard.

This closed loop between testing and engineering is what allows Flood Risk America to innovate its own solutions rather than simply reselling generic, imported products. Few flood companies design and test their own systems this way, and even fewer make continuous improvement a core part of how their products evolve.

Recognized for innovation

Flood Risk America's commitment to engineering and testing its own flood protection has drawn industry attention. The company was recently named Most Innovative Flood Protection Solutions Company, Florida 2026 in the Business Circle Awards Directory - recognition of the in-house design, testing, and continuous-improvement approach that now has a dedicated home in FRA's new test facility.

About Flood Risk America

Flood Risk America is a national leader in flood protection, helping businesses and homeowners safeguard the buildings and assets they have worked hard to build. Rather than offering one-size-fits-all products, FRA tailors every solution to the individual property, accounting for its unique risks, design, and use. A close-knit team of designers, flood specialists, and engineers works together from assessment through installation, giving clients a single, accountable partner.

Learn more at floodriskamerica.com.

The FRA Flood Panel holding strong to protect a parking garage from flooding

BEIRUT (AP) — A Lebanese man who had been held prisoner in Israel was released Thursday, the first such handover since the outbreak of the latest Israel-Hezbollah war six months ago, the International Committee of the Red Cross and two Lebanese security officials said.

The man, identified as Malek Ghazi, was handed over to the Lebanese army via the ICRC, one of the Lebanese security officials said. The other official said they were anticipating the release of another prisoner. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported that Ghazi was handed over to the ICRC at the border crossing in the coastal town of Naqoura on Lebanon's southern frontier and was then transferred to a Lebanese army intelligence office in the city of Tyre.

The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Dozens of Lebanese prisoners are believed to be held in Israeli detention centers, including civilians as well as Hezbollah militants captured during fighting in southern Lebanon. The circumstances of Ghazi’s capture were not immediately clear, but one of the Lebanese officials said he was a civilian.

The prisoner release came as talks between Lebanese and Israeli officials had appeared to reach an impasse. Lebanon and Israel in June signed a framework deal under which Israeli forces were to withdraw from areas they are occupying in southern Lebanon in exchange for disarmament of Hezbollah, but little progress has been made in implementation on the ground.

Another round of talks is expected to take place in Rome later this month.

Smoke and flames rise as Israeli forces demolish homes in Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, southern Lebanon, Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

An Israeli tank takes a position in Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, southern Lebanon, Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

Smoke rises as Israeli forces demolish homes in Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, southern Lebanon, Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)