Flooding is more apt to occur in areas with poor surface drainage systems or ice dams.
Contact a construction firm, lumber yard or Civil Defense officials for information on where to buy sandbags in the area. Select the site for the dike, making the best use of natural land features to keep it as short and low as possible. Avoid trees or other obstructions which would weaken the structure. Do not build the dike against a basement wall. Leave about 8 feet of space to maneuver between the dike and buildings.