Areas of Scotland vulnerable to flooding as climate change ramps up threat

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Stonehaven in Aberdeenshire has been classed as a Potentially Vulnerable Area (PVA) to flooding since 2011 - for good reason.The coastal town has been repeatedly battered by heavy rains and floods down the years.But PVA status has helped complete schemes like the Stonehaven Flood Protection Scheme, protecting around 370 homes and businesses, as well as a new coastal flood warning system.Aberdeenshire councillor Alan Turner said: “A PVA designation is an invaluable aid - firstly in the understanding of potential impacts of flooding and secondly through the implementation of tangible solutions.But extreme storms can overwhelm the best flood defences, as Brechin, in Angus, another PVA, learned last year.Storm Babet in October devastated the town with horrific flooding, breaching a flood wall that was built only seven years previously, as part of the town’s £16million flood defences.Cupar, Fife, fell victim to Storm Gerrit in December with streets and homes heartbreakingly flooded days after Christmas when the River Eden burst its banks.In Dumbarton, the same storm saw main roads completely submerged in the West Dunbartonshire town.

Another PVA, Dumfries, has one street which is among the most flooded urban areas in Scotland, with roughly one incident per year.Every city in Scotland is significantly covered by areas at-risk to flooding, but Perth and Inverness have been particularly badly hit by extreme weather in recent times.Scotland’s islands are also exposed to major flood risks, with huge swathes of the Western Isles classed as PVAs, including main town Stornoway - with a huge £5million project to protect its airport from the sea completed last year. Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up