Questions asked after Tobermory is flooded again

Back on the main street, Co-op worker Nicola Beckett took a photograph of a local fisherman securing his boat during the storm.

She said: "It was a scary near-miss, which highlighted that the flood defence barriers are not high enough." 

Some pointed to the fact that the flood barrier on the fishing pier was left wide open, questioning who was supposed to close it. 

While nobody had been officially given that responsibility, Brian Swinbanks said he would have closed it, but the barrier requires at least two people to operate. 

"It was too difficult for an 80-year-old man to head out on his own," he said. 

Mr Swinbanks has contacted Argyll and Bute Council about the problem, which is now working on a solution. The Coastguard has also offered its assistance.

Mr Swinbanks was heavily involved in the installation of Tobermory’s flood mitigation system.

He told The Oban Times: "Storm surges have been happening since time immemorial. In 1881, shops flooded three to four feet high according to The Oban Times. This was nothing compared to 1881. 

"This is not a full blown singing and dancing flood defence system, it’s there to mitigate damage. It also serves to raise the historic sea wall by 50cm.

"A 10-foot wall would stop the water but ruin the view, then nobody would visit. 

"People need to defend their property at their property. The best way to do so is to buy storm boards and put them on the front door or any other openings - many shops have already done this."

Mr Swinbanks has an idea to better alert people to storm surges on a national level; he is trying to create an automatic alert system that works with a tide gauge to track rising waters and alert people to surges via their mobile phone.

An Argyll and Bute Council spokesperson said: “The project in Tobermory was primarily to raise the sea wall, improve the decorative railings, and install a removable flood barrier.

"While, it will provide additional resilience during events like Storm Ashley, there will be times when the tidal surge is in excess of what could be reasonably contained. The works were carried out essentially as an amenity improvement rather than as a full-blown flood defence scheme.

“The council does not manage the harbour, so does not operate the flood screen. However, we are very supportive of the great work done by the harbour authority and can offer additional support in the future to provide back-up."