The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will work through the weekend to stabilize the flood reduction berm near Tokeland.

The Corps direct assistance team and equipment arrived Thursday and began working during low tide cycles, according to a Corps statement Friday.

“The flood team and tribe has made significant progress repairing critical areas,” said Seattle District Emergency Management Branch Chief Doug Weber. “We will continue to work over the weekend to stabilize key areas before next week’s expected king tides.”

A king tide is a non-scientific term used to describe exceptionally high tides. They are expected to top 10 feet through much of next week.

The Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe sent a request for assistance to the Corps that included drone footage of damage to the berm, which protects the tribe and Tokeland from flooding.

The tribe’s emergency management director, Lee Shipman, said the berm has suffered significant erosion since it was last repaired by the Corps in 2018. She said the drone footage sent to the Corps convinced them emergency measures needed to be taken to protect the shoreline.

The Seattle District commander declared an emergency Dec. 17. The Corps will assist stabilizing 1,800 linear feet of berm. The tribe had been placing riprap along the dune to reduce the threat of breaching prior to the request.

Public Law 84-99 enables the Corps to assist state and local authorities in flood fight activities and cost share in the repair of flood protection structures. The purpose is to prevent loss of life and minimize property damage associated with severe weather.

Private citizens seeking assistance should contact their local government offices.