I went out a walk today around parts of the Falkirk area including:

- The Falkirk Stadium
- Cycle Path out towards Polmont
- Cadgers Brae
- Polmont

I wanted to see what last night’s storm had done to these parts and what was being done about it. Here’s some pictures and videos
This one of two full sized, 11 aside football pitches in Victoria Park, close to home. As you can see, it’s now a lake for seagulls and dogs to play in.
The path at the new built and very high tech looking Forth Valley College. Someone wants to tell the contractors that built the path that they’ve forgot to put drainage in and the slopes down on either side into a kind of bowl.
The path at the new built and very high tech looking Forth Valley College. Someone wants to tell the contractors that built the path that they’ve forgot to put drainage in and the slopes down on either side into a kind of bowl.
The path at the new built and very high tech looking Forth Valley College. Someone wants to tell the contractors that built the path that they’ve forgot to put drainage in and the slopes down on either side into a kind of bowl.
The path at the new built and very high tech looking Forth Valley College. Someone wants to tell the contractors that built the path that they’ve forgot to put drainage in and the slopes down on either side into a kind of bowl.
Some flooding on a nearby street, just over the road from the college.
Some flooding on a nearby street, just over the road from the college.
Some flooding on a nearby street, just over the road from the college.
Some flooding on a nearby street, just over the road from the college.
The flooding in the pictures above was caused by blocked up drains and a spill over from the flooded field adjacent to the street. Any time it rains, this field floods.
The flooding in the pictures above was caused by blocked up drains and a spill over from the flooded field adjacent to the street. Any time it rains, this field floods.
The flooding in the pictures above was caused by blocked up drains and a spill over from the flooded field adjacent to the street. Any time it rains, this field floods.
The flooding in the pictures above was caused by blocked up drains and a spill over from the flooded field adjacent to the street. Any time it rains, this field floods.
Flooding on the roundabout at the Falkirk Stadium caused one exit to be closed.
Flooding on the roundabout at the Falkirk Stadium caused one exit to be closed.
Flooding on the roundabout at the Falkirk Stadium caused one exit to be closed.
Tweet 1 of water damage to the path. In one pic, you can see where the water line was before it receded.
Tweet 1 of water damage to the path. In one pic, you can see where the water line was before it receded.
Tweet 1 of water damage to the path. In one pic, you can see where the water line was before it receded.
Tweet 1 of water damage to the path. In one pic, you can see where the water line was before it receded.
Tweet 2 of damage to the footpath
Tweet 2 of damage to the footpath
Tweet 2 of damage to the footpath
A view from Icebrae Road looking down towards Grangemouth at a huge flooded field.
Cadgers Brae underpass, totally flooded: video 1
Cadgers Braw underpass totally flooded: video 2
The wall I was standing on to film the second video, had previously had lots of grass and undergrowth on it, it was had been washed away by the flood water spilling over from this field and just dumped at the bottom of the path.
The wall I was standing on to film the second video, had previously had lots of grass and undergrowth on it, it was had been washed away by the flood water spilling over from this field and just dumped at the bottom of the path.
The wall I was standing on to film the second video, had previously had lots of grass and undergrowth on it, it was had been washed away by the flood water spilling over from this field and just dumped at the bottom of the path.
The wall I was standing on to film the second video, had previously had lots of grass and undergrowth on it, it was had been washed away by the flood water spilling over from this field and just dumped at the bottom of the path.
The wall I was standing on to film the second video, had previously had lots of grass and undergrowth on it, it was had been washed away by the flood water spilling over from this field and just dumped at the bottom of the path.
Given that it smelled so badly here, I’m surprised I took as many pictures as I did.
Ok. Pics of the flooding at the Cadgers Brae Premier Inn and Brewers Faye car park. When there was a bad storm last summer, this happened. I wonder if either business saw a forecast and warned customers of the risk of flood to their cars? From the looks of it, I doubt it.
Ok. Pics of the flooding at the Cadgers Brae Premier Inn and Brewers Faye car park. When there was a bad storm last summer, this happened. I wonder if either business saw a forecast and warned customers of the risk of flood to their cars? From the looks of it, I doubt it.
Ok. Pics of the flooding at the Cadgers Brae Premier Inn and Brewers Faye car park. When there was a bad storm last summer, this happened. I wonder if either business saw a forecast and warned customers of the risk of flood to their cars? From the looks of it, I doubt it.
Ok. Pics of the flooding at the Cadgers Brae Premier Inn and Brewers Faye car park. When there was a bad storm last summer, this happened. I wonder if either business saw a forecast and warned customers of the risk of flood to their cars? From the looks of it, I doubt it.
Ok. Pics of the flooding at the Cadgers Brae Premier Inn and Brewers Faye car park. When there was a bad storm last summer, this happened. I wonder if either business saw a forecast and warned customers of the risk of flood to their cars? From the looks of it, I doubt it.
More pics of it. Fee pretty sorry for these people. Total right off I would’ve thought.
More pics of it. Fee pretty sorry for these people. Total right off I would’ve thought.
More pics of it. Fee pretty sorry for these people. Total right off I would’ve thought.
More pics of it. Fee pretty sorry for these people. Total right off I would’ve thought.
More pics of it. Fee pretty sorry for these people. Total right off I would’ve thought.
The state of that ffs. You’d be gutted.
That’s the end of my pics that I took. I got really warm and dehydrated so went back before I could get a picture of the butchers that caught fire after a direct hit by lightning.
In all my walking about, I never saw a single @falkirkcouncil van or worker out and about.
Are they going to do anything about any of this? Not just short term, but long term too. Looking at this, it’s clear that the existing infrastructure is not prepared for flash flooding which, according to climate science is going to become more and more “normal” for us.
Which brings be on to another thing. I’ve seen many journalists and media folk commenting on this storm and its damage, and none of them are framing it in the context of global climate change.
They’re all just talking about it, “reporting” on it like some sort of football commentator describing the action. Or gawping at the “freak nature” of it all like a tragic pile up on the M9.
Only, it’s worse than all that because we need the media folk to ask serious questions, not just gawp and they are objectively not doing that.
Last night’s storm was the worst I’ve seen in my lifetime. Coupled with the unusually warm weather today, and you would be forgiven for thinking you were in some sort of Caribbean climate. This is not normal for bloody Scotland.
The major incident in Stonehaven, lightning striking buildings, landslides and major flooding in Perth and Kinross and parts of Fife adds to my point that this country’s infrastructure is not prepared for what’s coming as the climate shifts and changes.
I feel sorry for all those caught up in the worst of this and it’s really tragic that extreme weather is becoming more common and leading to deaths and serious damage. We have to arrest these problems now by cutting consumption and overproduction otherwise, we’re all fucked.
Sorry for the typos littered throughout this thread. I decided to post it whilst eating my dinner 🙃
In addition to all this, it’s becoming very clear now that I have been burnt on my face, neck, forehead and shoulders.
You can follow @CalumBairdSongs.
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