Highland Council response to overnight extreme weather – Inverness, Badenoch and Strathspey
The Highland Council has been responding to several flooding incidents and landslides that occurred because of heavy rainfall last night (6th August).
The Council’s Community Services reported that Inverness area had significant overnight rainfall which caused several flooding issues around the city and Culloden. All roads are clear or passible with care and flood signs have been erected.
Two rural Inverness area roads closed because of landslides at the B852 between Dores and Foyers and the B862 between Dores and Torness. Both roads are now open to vehicular traffic. There is a degree of debris present so care should be exercised.
Roads Officers also responded to the River Dulnain area which burst its banks west of the village of Carrbridge and flooded Station Road at two locations. One of the breeches has since receded and the edge of the road which was undermined has been coned off. Flood water continues to block the road at one of the locations and the road has been closed.
The C class road between Balnaan and Auchenblair is flooded in several locations and has been closed. Several car parks in Grantown on Spey have surface water lying. Gully suckers have been working in these areas and the volume of water is the contributor, rather than issues with surface water drainage. Sandbags have been given out to several properties in Grantown on Spey.
Sandbags have also been provided to a property in the Laggan area which was being flooded.
Advice from received from the Met Office Public Weather Adviser is that the forecast is for the worst of the rainfall today in the Spey catchment area. As land is becoming saturated from the rainfall over the past few days, further rainfall is more likely to contribute to flooding from watercourses.
Stuart Black, Highland Council’s Director of Development and Infrastructure said: “All available staff are responding where required. Particularly heavy rain was experienced over the Inverness and Culloden area between 11pm and 2am overnight.
“The following roads in Inverness were affected by flood water: Barn Church Road, Millburn Road, Island Bank Road, Old Perth Road, Drakies Avenue, Diriebught Road, Harbour Road and roads in the Inverness Royal Academy area.
“Roads were flooded due to the extreme intensity of the rainfall that produced an overwhelming volume of water which in turn mobilised and transported debris. Once the rain stopped, flood waters drained away very quickly.”
Met Office weather warnings can be found at: https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/warnings-and-advice/uk-warnings#?date=2019-07-11
Flood alerts can be found at: https://floodline.sepa.org.uk/floodupdates/ .
Advice on powercuts can be found at: https://www.ssen.co.uk/Powercuts/ETR/ .