Oban weathers the flooding from autumnal storms

It has been a torrid week in Oban as the town centre was subjected to significant flooding as the weather closed in.

Particularly severely hit was the Lochavullin Retail Park, where cars became submerged, lorries and buses were stranded, and shops, including Homebase, found themselves under water.

However, as we report this week, there have been numerous other incidents of flooding, including that of Hugh Carmichael, whose home in Soroba Road found itself swamped as the Black Lynn rose and burst its banks.

There were also a number of road accidents, some in part at least attributable to the weather.

As ever, when developments of this kind occur, we expect out emergency services to respond and they did so again this week with their customary selflessness and gallantry. The uniformed services were augmented in no small measure by other public servants, including those workers for Argyll and Bute Council who toiled to restore normality.

There have been calls for more to be done to prevent a repeat of the flooding seen this week but it is difficult to know how that can be achieved.

The inundation across the Lochavullin area, in particular, was caused by a number of factors, not the least of which was exceptionally persistent and heavy rain, coupled with high tides and the Black Lynn burn being full.

Calls for pumps to be made available are understandable but beg the question: to where exactly is the flood water to be pumped?

When the streets and Black Lynn are inundated, it is difficult to identify where the excess water could go.

We owe a debt of gratitude to those who worked to alleviate the problem but there is a debate to be entered into to find ways to prevent a repetition.