Deluge reveals lessons must still be learned

Once again the heavens have opened and significant parts of Fife, Tayside and the wider north-east have been brought to a standstill.

Trains not running, road links unpassable, schools and nurseries forced to close, homes and businesses inundated after an almost Biblical deluge.

Nature cannot be tamed. But the response to its ravages is key.

Following Storm Arwen late in 2021 the devastation was enormous and the clean-up operation long and arduous.

In many places the battle scars of

It is questionable whether the response... was adequate

that particular night still endure. So have lessons been learned? The evidence from yesterday’s chaos is mixed on that front.

The weather forecast flagged in advance how significant the rainfall might be.

Given the disarray which occurred and the inconvenience and damage caused, it is certainly questionable whether the response to the latest weather event was adequate.

Those tasked with doing so need to have the tools available to them in order to respond as effectively and efficiently as possible and they must be on the front foot at all times.

As we face into the long winter months ahead, it is concerning the response to the first big test of the season appears to have fallen short of the mark.

A repeat of today’s scenes must be avoided at all costs.