Highland Council response to Inverness flooding
Members of The Highland Council’s Inverness City Committee were today updated on areas within Inverness affected by flooding on Sunday morning (7 August 2011).
Following very heavy and persistent overnight rainfall, the main areas affected were: Smithton, Culloden, Balloch, Lochardil and the A862 at Inchmore.
The Highland Council’s Director of TEC Services Neil Gillies said: “After flooding three weeks ago in the Smithton, Culloden and Balloch areas on 16/17 July we checked and cleaned culverts and inlet screens on the burns in these areas.
“The high water flow in the burns on Sunday, however, resulted in a significant amount of gravel and debris being carried downstream and this caused blockages at a number of inlet screens, with resultant overflowing of the burns in these areas.”
He added: “We took immediate actions taken to alleviate this flooding and deployed staff and equipment on Sunday morning who: supplied and placed sandbags at affected properties; removed significant amounts of gravel and debris from the inlet screens to culverts to restore free flow at the affected areas with an excavator; and deployed a gully emptier to deal with the roads affected by flooding.”
Water levels receded by mid-afternoon on Sunday; however TEC Services staff will continue to monitor these areas. A number of properties were affected by flooding, with flood water entering the air bricks. The full extent of the damage to property has still to be established.
The Council’s TEC Services has employed a consultant to review the burns to the east of the A9 to establish what can be done to reduce the risk of future flooding. This strategic review will look at the entire water system in this area while also reviewing works that were previously carried out following major flooding in 2002, to see how these measures have performed.
The flood risk in the Lochardil area will be significantly reduced once the Inverness South West Flood Relief Channel is completed in the autumn of 2012.
A public meeting will be held at Culloden Academy, Inverness, on Thursday 18 August, starting at 7.30 pm to discuss the recent flooding incidents at Balloch, Culloden and Smithton.