Emergency Council crews respond as flood alert and weather warnings issued

Published 26 October 2026

West Dunbartonshire Council’s frontline workers responded to emergencies amid challenging conditions as Storm Boelo battered the region over the weekend.

An amber weather warning was in place between 9pm on Saturday and 9pm on Sunday coinciding with a high tide flood warning for Dumbarton Quay at 12.30am on Sunday morning. This followed a yellow weather warning which had been in place from midday on Saturday.

The Council's resilience group was stood up on Friday to prepare for the storm and ensure a swift and efficient response.

Teams were on hand reacting to reports of fallen trees and flood waters, with Dumbarton High Street particularly affected due to high tide.

Around 1600 flood sacks were distributed over the weekend to impacted areas. These were also available for collection from the Church Street offices on Sunday.

In preparation for the flood alert and weather warning, operatives cleared high risk gullies and culverts to help prevent the water from becoming blocked. In addition, leaf clearance was undertaken to help support free running of drains.

Through the night, when flooding occurred, operatives attended to clear water where possible and closed roads where required to ensure the safety of residents.

Teams from both roads and greenspace were busy clearing roads of trees, branches and debris and continue to work on this today with priority given to incidents posing an immediate risk to public safety, blocking key transport routes or affecting access to critical services.   

The housing section's maintenance and repairs service mobilised an emergency cover team and responded to 130 repair requests including roof repairs with the housing operations' intervention team and CCTV team on hand all weekend to assist where required. Regular updates were posted on the Council's social media pages keeping residents informed with members of the public also sharing issues from their local area, assisting fellow residents.

Homecare workers continued to provide a service to vulnerable residents throughout and schools and early learning and childcare centres are open as normal today.

The clean up process will continue over the coming days and residents are asked for their patience while priority is given to the most urgent matters.

Another yellow wind warning has been issued for the region which will be in place on Tuesday from 3am until midnight.

West Dunbartonshire Council Chief Executive, Peter Hessett, said: “Storm Boelo was incredibly disruptive and became even more problematic due to the timing of high tide at Dumbarton Quay and the wind direction amplifying the surge with flood water breaching the town centre and Dumbarton East.

“Over the weekend, our dedicated teams pulled together, clearing leaves from drains before the height of the storm to try and limit its impacts and distributing flood sacks to some of the most at risk homes.

“They have been ably assisted by contractors and members of the public and I would like to thank everyone who has worked so hard on the recovery effort.

“A special mention to our homecare teams who worked incredibly hard in challenging conditions to get to our most vulnerable residents.

“Our teams will continue to focus on the worst hit areas throughout this week and beyond to provide help where possible.”

West Dunbartonshire Council leader, Councillor Martin Rooney said: "Storm Boelo has had a devastating impact on parts of our communities, with torrential rain, gale-force winds and tidal flooding affecting homes, businesses and buildings. My thoughts are with everyone who has been impacted this weekend.

"Council teams work hard to prepare for any severe weather, including clearing drains in advance and distributing sandbags, but their effectiveness is limited when water levels rise significantly, particularly during severe storms.

"I want to thank the Council staff who worked throughout the weekend to keep people safe and also to those across our community who stepped up to support neighbours and vulnerable residents.

"With the worst of the conditions now behind us, the Council's focus turns to recovery, supporting residents and businesses most affected, and working with communities and partners to consider any assistance to help mitigate future flood risk."