Stonehaven in Aberdeenshire has been classed as a Potentially Vulnerable Area to flooding since 2011 - for good reason.But PVA status has helped complete schemes like the Stonehaven Flood Protection Scheme, protecting around 370 homes and businesses, as well as a new coastal flood warning system.
But extreme storms can overwhelm the best flood defences, as Brechin, in Angus, another PVA, learned last year. Cupar, Fife, fell victim to Storm Gerrit in December with streets and homes heartbreakingly flooded days after Christmas when the River Eden burst its banks.Another PVA, Dumfries, has one street which is among the most flooded urban areas in Scotland, with roughly one incident per year.