Scotland’s weather: Now tornados hit sodden Scotland

By Julia Horton
Published on 07/08/2012 09:40

MOUNDS of thick, black mud were shovelled out of ruined homes and businesses yesterday as the cost of the latest bad weather to hit Scotland became clear.

In Jedburgh, Mark Chisholm was swept away by the force of floodwater, but managed to save himself after colliding with a 
police van parked at the end of his street.

The 41-year-old was among the residents of Blackhills Close busy yesterday throwing out carpets and furniture that had been wrecked by a wave of dirty, debris-filled water that coursed through the town after the nearby Skip Running Burn burst its banks.

Shopkeepers said they feared they could be closed for weeks and lose thousands of pounds as the clean-up following Sunday’s flash floods continued.

As a welcome burst of sunshine gave way to more rain, frustrated victims were organising a special meeting last night to urge the council to improve flood defences in the town, which has been hit by the same problem several times over the years.

Mr Chisholm, who is unemployed, said: “I’m flummoxed at why this has happened again because the same thing has happened so many times before for exactly the same reason.

“After the last time, ten years ago, the council gave us flood gates, but you don’t have time to put them up when all this water is flooding past your house… I couldn’t open the back door because of the force of the water outside.”

Ross Murrow, 41, who owns a barbershop on the Close, said: “This is the third time my business has been flooded in about 18 years.

“I don’t think the council has done enough.”

A spokesman for Scottish Borders Council said it had commissioned an investigation into the latest flooding, but said it believed an existing monitoring system designed to alert staff when the burn was in danger of being blocked had worked properly.