TIMES PAST Drama for neighbours when river banks burst
DRIZZLE, downpour, dreich – who else is thoroughly fed up with all this rain we have been having? At least it is not quite as bad as it was for the residents of Millbrae Crescent in Langside back in 1962.
This poor woman was one of many who had to flee their homes when the White Cart rose 16ft in 90 minutes and burst its banks.
Retaining walls, built by residents at a cost of several hundred pounds, collapsed. Muddy water flowed in through back doors and out at the front to join a small river running two feet deep in the roadway.
Householders had to carry furniture and carpets upstairs when they saw the river begin to rise.
An unbroken stretch of water, ranging in depth from 5ft to 20ft, lay between the rear of the houses and the Weir Recreation Ground, where the goalposts were barely visible.
Tree-trunks floated past the homes’ rear windows, and waterhens swam over the back gardens.
The widespread flooding in the west of Scotland in September 1962 was the worst for many years. The residents of Millbrae Crescent were used to it – the White Cart was notorious for bursting its banks causing much misery to householders and businesses. Things were bad for the Nether Auldhouse residents in 1954 too, when boats had to be used to ferry residents to safety after flooding. Maybe May’s weather will improve soon – until then, keep your brolly handy...
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