But they filled an important gap, like early volunteers piling sandbags into a breach until the heavy equipment arrives.

With the levee under threat this week, hundreds of residents and volunteers from all over the country have turned out to pile sandbags.

A promenade ran along the top, and Ruth saw Council workmen piling sandbags against the brightly painted railings.

Without a strong levee, the people here have been racing to pile sand and sandbags in front of the enroaching river.

Lanyon pointed to their left, where half a dozen guards were piling sandbags across the corridor preparatory to sealing it with a heavy bulkhead.

"This is a mess," one of the homeowners, Lynne Kern, said as she watched firefighters pile sandbags across her driveway, the rain falling in sheets.

On the mosque roof, militants had piled sandbags at the base of the minarets, which they now used as steps to shoot at troops below.

Do not pile sandbags against foundation walls to keep water out of the basement.

State news media often portray the armed police in more benign roles - like working alongside regular soldiers to pile sandbags during last summer's record floods.