Wednesday, December 10, 2014, 12:44 PM – The partial collapse of a seawall near Delta, B.C., forced a local state of emergency to be declared Tuesday, and Wednesday brought a new set of concerns as high tide and high winds complicated the situation.
More details are emerging Wednesday as the Delta mayor meets with the media to brief on what happened in the breach. The Weather Network’s Deb Matejicka is on location and updates that the high winds and the high tide are now the concern for residents as crews work to stabilize the seawall.
According to News1130, a stretch of Boundary Bay and Beach Grove in Tsawwassen was affected and the decision to declare an emergency was made after a 70-foot portion of the seawall failed, leaving approximately 400 houses in the area exposed to the sea.
Officials handed out leaflets to help residents prepare as heavy rains and localized flooding became the story across much of the province Tuesday. It is expected that the rain will continue Wednesday, as power outages, dangerous road conditions and rockslides have been reported in various regions.
News1130 reported late Tuesday that rockslides closed highways leading in to the Interior, specifically Highway 1 at the intersection of Highway 9.
Earlier Tuesday a combination of high tide and heavy rain has caused flooding in the community of Courtenay, prompting the first local state of emergency to be declared.
“We have declared a state of emergency due to high tide and high rain fall and flooding in low lying areas,” Mayor Larry Jangula told The Weather Network via telephone Tuesday afternoon. “How long it remains in effect will depend on the weather, but we anticipate it will be in place for a day or so. We’re monitoring the conditions as we go, and the high tide level has passed and rainfall is decreasing, so hopefully things are getting better.”
Stay with The Weather Network for on-going news and information.
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Source: The Weather Network