A crunch meeting will take place today to discuss a long-term plan to protect Moray from the kind of severe weather seen this week.
Torrential rains and gales caused flash flooding and transport turmoil across the north on Tuesday.
Much of the clean-up operation is still ongoing, with homes and businesses sustaining water damage.
The meeting – between Richard Lochhead, MSP for Moray, and Douglas Millican, the chief executive of Scottish Water – had already been arranged prior to the flooding, but now Mr Lochhead says there is an added urgency to the discussions.
He said: “Given the further flooding this week Friday’s meeting is well timed. A particular focus of will be drainage issues such as have been seen quite significantly in New Elgin and Forres and in various other areas but we will also cover a wider range of current issues and investments that Scottish Water are involved with.”
In Lossiemouth, the high waves damaged harbour walls and also flooded part of the marina, damaging some boats.
Ian Souter, who runs local building firm Souter and Sons, and his team have been working flat-out to repair the damage and return the harbour to normality.
Mr Souter said he welcomes today’s meeting and says a long-term plan is essential to protect the town.
He said: “In reality, we have got another full week’s work to get through.
“What really needs to be addressed is the east beach, and the sand dunes.
“It would obviously cost a lot of money but they need to be re-built otherwise the Seatown is going to be in trouble.
“While he was still alive, my grandfather would tell me about the sand-dunes and how they were man-made to stop the water hitting the Seatown.
“Every time we get a serious sea there’s more and more damage done to the beach.
“If we have another three spells like you saw the other day you can say goodbye to your beach. It’s not going to take much.”
Mr Souter added: “I think the compromise of spending a bit on protecting the town now will save money in the long-run.
“There’s 60 houses in the Seatown, if you value them at £100,000 each, then that’s £6 million lost.”