People living along Moray’s coastline should not wait until the next major flood event takes place before acting to preserve their property.
That was the view being expressed this week by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) who last year introduced a new advance warning system for communities vulnerable to exceptionally high tidal systems.
Over the last week there have been a number of flood alerts along Moray’s coastline while rivers have also been susceptible to much higher levels as a result of warmer weather producing snow melt from higher ground.
That has been cited as a contributing factor to the conditions that led to the tragic death of 19-year-old Matthew Crosbie at the weekend. Mr Crosbie died after taking a swim at Randolph’s Leap on the River Findhorn.
Richard Brown, head of Hydrology at SEPA, said: “It is important that people do not wait for the next flood event before taking action. We hope that as many people as possible who live and work in – or travel through – communities along the Moray coast will register with the improved coastal flood warning system.
“Signing up to Floodline means that people will receive advance notification when flooding is predicted, providing them with crucial time to prepare and protect themselves and their properties against the damage that flooding can cause.”
As well as the coastal flood warning SEPA works constantly with the Met Office and Scottish Flood Forecasting Service to warn of potential flood risk on all Moray rivers.
People are being urged to sign up to the free service by calling 0345 988 1188 or 0845 988 1188 or by visiting SEPA online.