Dumfriess businessman deciding on future after worst flooding for 40 years

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Friday’s floods were the worst to hit Dumfries for 40 years.The Scottish Environment Protection Agency said water levels at the River Nith were the highest ever recorded since 1982.Trader Rab Smith was left in tears after £118,000 of stock at his Domino Entertainments shop was ruined.He is now taking a month to decide whether to reopen the business he loves and that gets him “out of bed in the morning”.Mr Smith, 71, said: “This is the seventh time since 1977 that my shop has been flooded.“It is the worst I’ve ever known.“I’ve lost 12,000 records valued at £118,000.

If I reopen, I’ll need to work for two years without taking a wage to recoup what I’ve lost.“I could have retired six years ago but this shop is the reason I get out of bed in the morning.

It’s my life, but I don’t know if I can take any more. I’ve now got to decide if I can afford to take £20,000 of my life savings to reopen.”Mr Smith was helped by friends and volunteers to clean up after a deluge of rain caused chaos in the town and surrounding areas.Cops and coastguards were involved in a search at Auldgirth after footage emerged online of a caravan being washed away.