NEW BERN, N.C. (WITN) – Tropical Storm Debby is headed to the east, which is why one city is giving out free sand for people living in the area.

New Bern residents shoveled their way through piles of sand Tuesday. The City of New Bern dropped the mounds of sand off at Henderson Park and Seth West Parrott Park on a first come first serve basis. The sand is a way for residents to prepare for Tropical Storm Debby.

“Our primary concern where we are at in Trent Woods,” said Candice Parker, a resident in New Bern. “And being so low lying is water getting into the garage.”

Parker moved to New Bern and has called it home since 2017 after leaving Florida. Parker says she’s seen multiple storms and hurricanes in the east and knows what to expect.

“The last ten years,” said Parker, “Since Florence we have been disaster preparedness to make sure you are prepared for the next disaster.”

Tropical Storm Debby is expected to bring an increase of rain and flooding to New Bern and surrounding areas over the next few days. New Bern is described as a low lying city, meaning flooding is bound to happen.

“New Bern is very flat,” said Colleen Roberts, the New Bern PIO. “New Bern is very low lying. We are a 300 year old city, so there is very old infrastructure beneath the city.”

Parker and her husband decided to take advantage of the offer of sand. She says once they saw the post Tuesday morning, they grabbed their shovels, bags and headed out the door.

“We are hoping to alleviate when Florence came here we did have water that got into the garage,” said Parker. “Hopefully these sandbags will be a good barrier to prevent something like that.”

City leaders and residents in the area say it is key to prepare ahead of time to prevent a lot of damage.

“You can significantly increase your ability to recover by being prepared,” said Roberts. “Take time to prepare before the storm gets here.”

Roberts suggests to clean out gutters to prevent buildup and to stock up on snacks, drinks and to have a survival kit. Hurricane kits should be based on what your family needs with resources available online.