15 May 2019
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is calling on locals in Elgin and Forres to get flood-prepared by attending a special drop-in session on the new and improved flood warnings for the River Findhorn and River Lossie.
- Special drop-in events will be held at Elgin Library and Forres Town Hall to help locals learn about new and improved flood warnings
- More than 1,350 homes and businesses are already signed up to receive advance notification of flooding for the River Findhorn and River Lossie
- Floodline customers receive free advance notification when flooding is predicted providing crucial time to get flood-prepared.
More than 1,350 homes and businesses are already signed up to receive flood warnings for the River Findhorn and River Lossie which in recent years have both experienced a number of notable flood events with significant impacts. SEPA has now improved the flood warnings to take into account the building of flood alleviation schemes at Forres, Elgin and Dallas, and has also developed three new flood warning areas covering the Lossie.
Locals are invited to attend a drop-in session at Elgin Library from 2pm to 7pm on Tuesday 21 May, and at Forres Town Hall from 2pm to 7pm on Wednesday 22 May to find out more about the new and improved flood warnings and how signing up to receive free advance warning of flooding can help you be flood-prepared. SEPA has also written to the local community, including 120 householders and businesses in the new flood warning areas, to help them find out more about the benefits of signing up to Floodline.
As Scotland’s national authority for flood forecasting and warning, SEPA operates a 24-hour Flood forecasting and warning service to inform first responders, local authorities and emergency services of emerging flood events and the potential impact on local communities and critical infrastructure. Operating 365 days a year, over 300 Flood Alerts and 400 Flood Warnings are issued annually via Floodline directly to 26,944 customers nationwide, with many thousands more accessing them online.
Vincent Fitzsimons, SEPA’s Head of Hydrology, said:
“Every day SEPA works to help Scotland prepare more powerfully for future increased flooding in the face of clear science on climate change.
“As many residents and businesses know, flooding is a real threat. We hope that as many people as possible who live and work in, or travel through, Elgin and Forres will be able to come along to our drop-in sessions about the new and improved flood warnings for the River Findhorn and River Lossie. Our officers will explain how our Floodline service operates and how it can help everybody be prepared for the possibility of flooding.
“Our Floodline customers will receive free advance notification when flooding is predicted, providing crucial time to prepare and protect themselves, and their properties against the disruption and damage which flooding can cause.”
If members of the public have already signed up to receive the Flood Warnings they do not need to sign up to Floodline again to receive the improved warnings. Through the Floodline service SEPA currently provides advance flood warnings for over 280 areas across Scotland, and people can sign up to receive free notifications of flood warning messages direct to their choice of mobile or landline numbers at sepa.org.uk/floodingsignup or by calling 0345 988 1188.
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