Delta prepares for 'king tide' with sandbags and cement blocks along seawall

Delta says it is better prepared for a king tide expected Wednesday morning at 8:00 a.m. PT, after a storm in December 2014 forced the city to declare a state of emergency when a section of the seawall along Boundary Bay collapsed.

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King tides can approach five metres in heightor about one metre higher than a typical high tideand can form storm surges when they are combined with low-pressure systems.

"We're always concerned about them, they come every year, predictably and some years we're very lucky and some years we're not so lucky it just depends on Mother Nature," said Delta MayorLois Jackson.

She says the city has put in temporary flood-protection works along the beach at Boundary Bay Village and Beach Grove, the areas hardest hit by last winter's storm.

"That consists of these great big sandbags and of course the cement lock-blocks which we put into place."

People living along Delta's coastline know what to do during winter storm season. Some residents go as far as sandbagging their own properties, said Jackson.

"The people that have lived there for a long time are used to this as well. So it does help when the people are familiar with what's coming and what to look for."

Sandbags available in Delta

Sandbags are available for residents at these four locations:

Boundary Bay beach access points

• SeaviewRoad
• 1A Avenue
• 3rd Avenue

Beach Grove

• 16th Avenue right-of-way

To listen to the full audio, click the link labelled: Delta prepares for kingtides.