Emergency measures are temporary measures that are implemented between the flood warning and the flood event to protect the building from floodwaters. Some of these measures are listed below:

Sandbags: The use of sandbags has changed little over time. Temporary walls constructed of sandbags can be used to protect structures from flooding or provide additional height to existing levee systems when floodwaters reachcritical levels. However, unless emergency placement is planned well in advance under the direction of trained personnel, most sandbag barriers are not constructed in accordance with proper practices, leading to leakage and failures. Because of the intensive effort and amount of time required to provide protection even from relatively shallow water, sandbag walls are not a reliable protection measure. To be effective, sandbags and sand should be stockpiled and checked regularly to ensure that the sandbags have not deteriorated.

Flood shields or panels are watertight structural systems that bridge the openings in walls to prevent the entry of floodwaters. Flood shields work in tandem with waterproof barriers to resist water penetration. Although flood shields are most often temporary measures, they can also be used as a permanent floodproofing measure. Flood shields transfer flood-induced forces into the adjacent structural components and, like sealants, can overstress the structural capabilities of the building. Most flood shields are mounted against the exterior of the opening, allowing rising floodwaters to further compress the gaskets and seals between the flood shield and the wall system or frame of the opening.

Water filled barriers: These barriers that can be assembled relatively easily, moved into place, anchored, and filled with water. barriers designed to protect against riverine flood depths up to 3 feet; however, the laboratory set-up can be adapted easily to allow for testing panel closures and demountable barriers. These barriers are not tested for coastal flooding applications, where the presence of saltwater may hinder their performance. Because saltwater is denser than freshwater, a barrier filled with freshwater in a coastal location may float instead of providing protection against flooding.

Flood wrapping systems are temporary emergency measures. They consist of plastic or other synthetic waterproof sheeting material that is used to seal a building to prevent water intrusion during the flood duration. Wrapping systems present different challenges from impervious wall systems: they need to be anchored, stored, and repaired. Flood wraps benefit from barrier reinforcement such as sandbags or plywood walls and should generally be able to withstand the pressure of one meter of water for a limited period. Wrapping systems rely on the existing walls, which may need to be strengthened to resist flood loads, but they also need to bridge openings such as doors and windows, which typically require some type of temporary reinforcement to support the portion of the wrapping system that spans the openings. The area of openings and the flood protection level should be considered when selecting the wrapping material.

(FEMA 2013)

Other measures are gravel filled containers and temporary flood walls.