Anxious residents hit out after flash floods cause chaos

Residents in Aberlour who were deluged with water in a flash flood this month say they have been warning of the dangers for years – and say it’ll happen again without urgent action.

Community facilities were flooded and homes put at risk after a torrential 40-minute downpour.

Legions of volunteers, including one carrying a seven-month-old baby, were out across the Moray village in an attempt to keep the water from their front doors.

The torrents also flooded the Speyside Visitor Centre and public toilets in the village, which have been closed until further notice.

Many have warned the flood was inevitable without extra maintenance on ditches and drains after a similar event happened in 2021.

There are fears that similar floods could become more common across the region due to the impact of climate change.

Alan Souter’s burn in his back garden became a muddy torrent during the flash flooding.

The force of water washed away years of work tending to plants and flowers while depositing mounds of mud and rocks.

The retired Speyside High School geography teacher says grill-covered drains were incapable of coping with the rain due to them being “totally full of silt” due to a lack of maintenance.

And without action, he fears his home – where he has lived since the 1970s – could be under further threat in the years ahead.

He said: “You wouldn’t want to wade through the force of water that was in my garden and hope to survive – you would have been washed away.

“It was a colossal amount of water, but it isn’t the first time it’s happened. There have been some other close calls and the flood scheme has just about coped, but it needs to be maintained.”

Charlotte Kirkwood joined a squad of 14 residents fighting to keep the water away from their homes by trying to unblock debris-packed drains.

Following a flood in 2021, she and others set up a social media group to share news and press for improvements. However, two years on, she believes little action has been taken.

She said: “When we raised concerns last time we were just told ‘here’s six sandbags’. It just kind of felt like we were being told it wouldn’t happen again and we just had to get on with our lives.

“Every time it rains now, we’re worried.”

Moray MSP Richard Lochhead has taken up the calls of residents for extra maintenance of the drainage system.

He said: “Many residents believe much of the damage could have been avoided if drains on the hill had been properly maintained. They told me that following a similar event two years ago they asked Moray Council to upgrade the flood alleviation scheme and attend to drainage.

“Unfortunately, it seems this never happened.”

A Moray Council spokeswoman said: “We’re investigating what happened in Aberlour with the flash flooding and our team will advise on any short and long-term solution once that’s complete.”

Picture by Jason Hedges. WASHED AWAY: Alan Souter’s garden was ruined.

Rocks and debris were swept downhill in the torrent.

Firefighters tackle the flood.