WATCH: Flood leaves Aberlour residents 'devastated' by 'heartbreaking' damage
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A FLASH flood left Aberlour residents with "devastating damage" to their properties and shut much-loved community spaces.
The flood came after heavy rainfall on the evening of Wednesday, May 10.
Videos showed a river of muddy water streaming through down the streets of Aberlour as residents in the Chapel Terrace area suffered "heartbreaking" damage to homes, garden and garages.
The Aberlour Community Association's Station Tearoom, the Speyside Visitor Centre, and the public toilets have all been closed due to flooding, due to the water which came streaming down the hill.
Aberlour Parish Church was also hit, but the interior has avoided serious damage.
Amy Tait moved into her Chapel Terrace home just before Aberlour's last floods in July 2021.
Her garden suffered significant damage in those floods, however she said Tuesday's event was "much worse."
She said: "All of a sudden, I saw a great big wave coming down the whole road.
"The entire road was brown.
"This time was much worse."
Mrs Tait's garden was flooded, with a thick layer of silt covering the space and her vegetable patch.
She also believes that, without the help of her neighbours, the water would have entered her home.
"The water went all the way up to the doorstep, it was very scary," she said.
"And I've got two kids and my husband was at work.
"It's heartbreaking with the garden too.
"We moved in just before the last one and spent the last two years working on the garden.
"Two years of hard work, the money and the time, gone.
"Devastating is probably the only word for it.
"And we're not sure what to do because it's probably going to happen again if they don't fix anything.
"With the weather changing, this could happen every year or however many times a year."
Also badly hit was retired teacher Alan Souter, who has lived in a house off Allachie Drive, above Chapel Terrace, for more than 45 years.
A burn running through his garden serves as an outflow for the Aberlour flood alleviation works.
Mr Souter was also hit by the July 2021 floods and had not finished repairing the damage to the burn before the latest flood "ripped out" "several tonnes of rubble" from the structure supporting the burn.
"I hadn't finished tidying up from the last flood in July 2021," he said.
"There was still structural damage in the burn in my garden.
"And it has ripped out even more now.
"It hasn't affected the bulk of the garden, but I have several tons of rubble to remove before it happens again."
He blames the flooding on a lack of maintenance from the Council and, despite having complained twice, he said nothing had been done.
And he said he is "convinced" that more floods are to come.
He said: "This is probably the third time in the 40 years I've been here.
"But things seem to be getting worse.
"This is the second time in two years. It's going to happen again.
"I am convinced of it – and fairly soon.
"The way things are going with heavier showers nowadays, we're going to get this again."
Councillor Derek Ross (Speyside Glenlivet, Independent), who visited Aberlour on Thursday, May 11, said: "I am very relieved that no-one has been hurt.
"My heart goes out to those whose houses have been affected.
"We need to be looking at long term measures to stop this happening again.
"Many thanks to the Moray Council staff who have taken on the job of mopping it all up."
Councillor Juli Harris (Speyside Glenlivet, SNP) said: "It's just crushing to come visit and see the fallout.
"I will be passing on locals' concerns about the maintenance of culverts at the top of the hill."
Ben Hinnie, who operates the Speyside Visitor Centre said the flood damage was a tough blow on the heels of a long pandemic shutdown.
He said: "We're just getting back on our feet after Covid, we were closed for nearly three years.
"And some start to the tourist season this has been.
"There was just a river of mud coming down the road.
"And we have had floods before, but it's the drains that make this happen.
"Welcome to sunny Speyside.
Mr Hinnie added, however, that the community came out in force when the threat to the centre become clear.
"Around 20 folk rallied around to help us that night," he said.
"And one five-year-old, Amy Winchester, was a massive help and she was out brushing.
"It was a big community effort."
