The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Flooded couple’ s return after nine months and repairs worth £100,000
AFife couple rescued from their house by boat during dramatic flooding have finally returned home following £100,000 of repairs.
Kate and Steve Hampshaw spent nine months in rented accommodation while their devastated villa in Kinglassie was rebuilt.
It was the victim of an unprecedented downpour in August, which saw the Lochty Burn burst its banks, sending a deluge of water cascading into their home.
The torrent took out their dining room wall before the roof finally collapsed and their entire ground floor was submerged in waist-height water.
Kate and Steve lost their living room, dining room and conservatory, as well as a bedroom, bathroom and kitchen during the flooding.
During the past nine months the retired couple joined other villagers in calling for flood prevention action to ensure the devastation is never repeated.
This week, as they put the final touches to their
Ashgrove Terrace house, they revealed dredging work is finally about to start on the burn.
“Menzies have the job to clear silt from the burn and they start next week or the week after,” said Kate.
“I’m pleased about that because we’ve been living in fear of it happening again. If it does happen again we’ll pack up and go.”
The burn has already been cleared of trees and debris further downstream to stop the water backing up and a camera has been installed to monitor the water level.
Fife Council said the work should be finished by the end of this month.
However, while the couple are pleased with the action taken so far, they are still in dispute with the council over the ownership of their garden wall.
It collapsed into the burn during the flooding and is only now in the process of being rebuilt.
“Our insurance is paying for that just now but we believe the council owns half so we’ll fight it out with them later,” Kate said.
Fife Council has compiled a flooding register of 430 hotspots in a bid to prevent a repeat occurrence.
“We’ve been living in fear of it happening again