Residents rescued by boat from homes devastated by flooding
● Central belt hit by heavy rain with trains cancelled and roads closed
Residents have been rescued from their homes by firefighters with boats following flooding in central Scotland.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service ( SFRS) received calls to “significant flooding” incidents in West Lothian due to heavy rain on Thursday evening.
Two S FR S water rescue teams with boats helped rescue residents from 14 properties in P yo th all Court in Broxbu rn, West Lothian.
They were also called to incidents in Linlithgow and Ratho.
Jean Hendrie, 70, had to leave her home in Pyothall Court after water came over a flood wall and poured into the property, and has gone to stay with her daughter.
She said :“Everything in the living room is ruined, the water was up to our knees. The carpets are ruined, the floors are ruined.
“The rain came on really heavy at about 5pm and there is a burn behind the flood wall and the water came right over the wall.
“One of my neighbours was flooded and the water came right up to her kitchen worktops, and there are cars that are written off.
“We will not be able to stay here as the electricity is off, the carpet is soaked, there is silt everywhere.”
She said nothing like this has happened in the 21 years she has lived there.
SFRS said it had worked with other emergency services and local authorities to support those affected.
Pictures posted on social media showed cars deep in floodwater and bins floating down the street.
Aimee Miller tweeted :“Street flooded ... all of us rescued by the am azing fire brigade with their boats ! Hope everyone else is OK.”
Heavy rain caused transport problems across the central belt on Thursday, leading to trains being suspended and road closures.
Scot rail warned services across the country would be delayed or cancelled due to “extremely heavy rain flooding”.
Yesterday, the rail company tweeted that all lines affected by Thursday’s heavy rain have now re opened, and services are able to run again. More rainfall is forecast to continue today in parts of coastal Scotland, West Wales and Northern Ireland.
Meteorologist Gregory Dew hurst said :“The start of the weekend, we are looking at a largely fine day for many but we’ll see showers in the east and west cost of the UK, while inland is more likely to be dry, but much better than what we have seen recently.”
“Street flooded... all of us rescued by the amazing fire brigade with their boats ! Hope everyone else is OK”
AIMEE MILLER