As Coquitlam deals with the aftermath of a mudslide that resulted in six people needing to be rescued Thursday morning, neighbouring Port Coquitlam says it is monitoring conditions closely and taking proactive steps to prevent a similar situation.
Fire Chief Blake Clarkson says tiger dams — reusable flood barriers that use water-filled tubes, replacing the need for sandbags — are being set up as a precautionary measure in areas prone to flooding.
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“The water levels can be affected by tides, rain, release of water,” Clarkson said.
“They’ll be in place until the public works department deems that the water levels are at a level where we don’t need them.”
Clarkson warns these are only precautionary measures.
“They’re not holding back water, but they are there just in case there is a future blockage or a larger rain accumulation,” he said.
The city says crews are also keeping sandbag stations stocked at Cedar Park and the Public Works yard.
These aren’t the only ways the city is preparing. Joshua Frederick, the city’s director of engineering and public works, says they are managing flows at Coast Meridian Road with pumps. As well, he says, local trails and some sports fields have been closed until further notice as banks may be unstable.
“We’re also watching the weather closely, so if we begin to see the hourly inflow of rain begin to diminish, then we’re going to be removing the tiger dams, because we want to open it up to traffic as soon as possible.
“Other than that, we’ve been able to contain all of the excess water within our drainage system, and we will continue to do that.”
He says the city saw situations similar to this in October 2024 and in January of this year, but it is unusual to see it this time of year.
“This is unprecedented to see this, such a prolonged event in March, which is the first for, I think, the whole region.”
