New rain gauge will give more time in fight against flooding
Wednesday, May 31 2006
In a new step to improve flood warning systems in the Borders, Scottish Borders Council is installing a tipping rain gauge near Selkirk in early July. The device improves upon existing river gauges by measuring the intensity of rainfall and giving a flood risk warning before river levels rise.
The new rain gauge will be positioned along the upper reaches of the Long Philip Burn and will be linked to SBC's 24-hour call centre, Bordercare. In the event of exceptionally high rainfall, the rain gauge will send a message to SBC's SB Contracts division via Bordercare, who will then make necessary checks on vulnerable areas such as the A708 Bridge, Ravensheugh and Corbie Lynn. If these riverbanks are in danger of flooding, Bordercare will alert local flood group members by automated phone messages.
As SBC Engineer David Campbell explained, "This new apparatus should give us more time to warn flood group members that there is a danger of flooding. It provides an additional local warning that cannot be provided by SEPA's river gauges. Warnings based on river flow work by monitoring rising water levels and it takes some time to assess changes in river levels.
With a short length of watercourse, there is little time between the rise in water levels and a flood developing. This system will detect the cause of flooding a bit earlier and help us warn people to protect themselves and their property."
The North West area of Selkirk has suffered a number of floods in the last three years. The most serious was a flash flood in the Bannerfield area of the town and nearby Broadmeadows on 31 May 2003, caused by an exceptionally heavy downpour.
The new device will be installed by Hydro Logic Ltd.
Unified Solutions.