Owners of an Airbnb have been left “devastated” after flooding in Perth “completely destroyed” their ground-floor apartment.
Derek Swan and his wife Sarah, who also live in the property, say the flooding is a “calamity” after Perth and Kinross Council failed to close the North Inch floodgates over the weekend.
The owners of Perth City Apartments, on Barossa Place, say Sunday’s experience was like no other in their 24 years at the property.
Derek Swan said: “The flooding has completely destroyed the bottom floor.
“I’ve never seen it this bad, it started to come in through the back garden and we were trying to pump it out.
“We just couldn’t get it out as fast as it was coming in.”
“We’re devastated.”
Alarm bells were ringing for the couple once the water started to flood the rear garden.
Derek added: “The boiler room has also been affected so we don’t know how we’ll be able to heat the place for our guests.
“All this mess could have been prevented if someone had acted faster.”
Perth Airbnb owners say ‘everyone knew the gates needed to be closed’
The business owner was one of several residents of Rose Terrace and Barossa Place whose concerns grew when the heavy rain fell on Saturday evening.
Derek added: “Everyone knew the gates needed to be closed sooner.
“A few of us had walked over to see if they were closed when the water began to rise.
“It’s absurd they were not closed sooner and no one wants to take responsibility.
“The whole situation is a calamity.
“Everyone along the street has got the ball rolling on getting flood doors – but we all just want the problem fixed.”
‘Someone needs to take responsibility’
But Derek and Sarah are trying to stay upbeat despite the extensive damage to their business, Perth City Apartments.
“We’re trying to be as positive as we can given – although this cannot happen again”, he added.
“Someone needs to own up and take responsibility.”
Other residents of Rose Terrace and Barossa Place echoed that sentiment.
One resident said: “People in the public sector continue to make mistakes that would get people in private work sacked – it’s nonsense.”
Another frustrated resident added: “It could have been avoided.
“They closed the floodgate far too late – it’s just not on.”
It comes at Perth and Kinross Council claimed there was ‘no time’ to close the floodgates despite the Met Office issuing a weather warning on Friday lunchtime.
Basement properties between North Inch and the Friarton Bridge in Perth remain at ‘severe risk’ of flooding, according to Sepa.
