In 2005, during Hurricane Wilma, Peyton Robertson and his family were forced to seek shelter in a closet. Since then, the Fort Lauderdale, Florida, teen has thought about how to best prepare for storms. He knew that sandbags, which people place around their property to prevent flooding, are too heavy for many to lift—and leave gaps when stacked. So he designed a better bag.
HOW IT WORKS: Peyton replaced the sand in traditional sandbags with a mix of salt and polymers—highly absorbent materials. His bags weigh only about 4 pounds and can absorb more than 35 pounds of water. The bags lock together when stacked, preventing leaks.
WHAT'S NEXT: Peyton, who won a teen inventor contest in 2013, has filed an open patent for his invention. That means anyone can use—or sell—his idea. So far, he has seen a few variations of the design on the market.
“If you see a problem,” he says, “why not try to [fix] it?”