The impact tropical storms Ian and Nicole had on our beaches, particularly in Volusia County, where powerful surf undermined homes, was strong. The state department of emergency management is helping by installing temporary erosion protection using a system called Tiger Dam.The state has identified areas in Daytona Beach Shores and South where natural dunes and seawalls went down in back-to-back storms, threatening many properties.That's where they're placing huge water-filled tubes to prevent ongoing erosion. "They are stacked in a pyramid configuration, so two on the bottom, one on the top," said Jimmie Bujeda, the department director of the Florida division of emergency management. For the first time on Florida beaches, the state department of emergency management is using the Tiger Dam system to keep mother nature at bay.Each 50-foot tube or bladder is filled with roughly 2000 gallons of water and so far workers have covered 1500 feet of vulnerable beach with a temporary barrier. "They will be removed once the residents decide how they will proceed with their own mitigation projects, whether it be a seawall, renourishment," Bujeda said. The system has worked successfully in other areas of Florida and out of state to divert flood waters.Officials believe the sheer weight of the connected and stacked tubes can also act as a seawall of sorts and keep the waves from coming all the way up to the precariously positioned homes and properties until a permanent solution is in place."This is just a temporary help to prevent further loss," Bujeda said. It's still unclear how far this project will go.Officials say the tubes are being placed as needed.The state purchased the system as a pilot program for Florida's battered beaches. They will see how it works in Daytona Beach Shores and likely expand from there.