Storms wreak havoc in region
Weekend storms battered the Oban area bringing down trees, sending roof slates flying and saw waves batter the esplanade, writes Kathie Griffiths.
Storm Malik on Saturday also saw the town’s RNLI crew launch into a gale force wind in rough seas after a workboat started taking on water in Loch Creran.
Volunteers’ pagers sounded just after 10am when they were needed to help Scottish Fire Service try and salvage the vessel which was tied alongside a pier at the time.
Conditions were too severe for the lifeboat to transfer any crew or their salvage pump onboard so they stood by and provided safety cover.
Efforts to pump out water by the fire service from the shore managed to stop more water getting in. Oban’s Coastguard Team were also helping.
Argyll Square had to be cordoned off for safety reasons during that afternoon because of risks of falling slates and masonry.
A number of trees were also brought down in the gales out towards Dunbeg, in Bonawe and Appin adding to driving hazards. A tree crashed down across a path at the back of Corran Halls in the Witches, blocking access but no one was hurt – Jule Volland took a photograph.
SSEN’s teams managed to restore power to around 68,000 customers across the north of Scotland after Storm Malik – Sunday’s Storm Corrie brought extreme wind gusts of over 90mph across some of the region.
On Monday morning, 40,000 homes were still without power in the aftermath of both storms, including customers in the Western Isles.