We may close for good say furious shop owners as £800m mop-up gets under way
DEVASTATED flood victims returned to homes and businesses yesterday to begin an £800million clear-up after Storm Frank wreaked havoc across Scotland.
Parts of the country suffered the worst flooding in living memory after torrential downpours caused rivers to burst their banks, leading to mayhem and destruction.
Some homeowners will face a hike in insurance bills to cover the cost of the clear-up while others, who no longer qualify for insurance cover thanks to repeated flood claims, may have to take out loans to meet bills.
Some angry business owners are considering closing down for good after repeated floods.
The £800million figure for the clear-up is an estimate by analysts at Price water house Coopers (PwC).
Frank is the latest – and most destructive – storm to batter Scotland in recent weeks. The firm estimated that Frank’s predecessor, Storm Eva, left £400million worth of damage. PwC believes half of those losses, at most, will be covered by insurance.
Scottish Borders Council had already asked the Scottish Government for support through the Bellwin Scheme, which provides cash for flood hit communities, after Storm Desmond swamped Hawick.
After the River Tweed, in Peebles, flooded communities on Wednesday, that claim is set to grow further. Finance Secretary John Swinney has confirmed he will open the Bellwin Scheme to those affected by Frank.
Environment Minister Aileen McLeod, who had faced criticism for not visiting storm-hit areas sooner, travelled to Newton Stewart, Wigtownshire, with the First Minister yesterday, but kept a low profile. Her boss spent several hours speaking to residents, businesses and the media.
The town suffered some of Scotland’s worst flooding after the nearby River Cree burst its banks on Wednesday afternoon, plunging the main street under more than two feet of water. Water was still
‘We can’t get insurance here’
being pumped from cellars when Nicola Sturgeon arrived.
She described the scenes as ‘heart-breaking’.
Hundreds in the town were still without electricity and fresh water last night as engineers undertook house-by-house safety inspections.
Miss Sturgeon said: ‘I don’t think we should be complacent and say there’s not better planning that we can undertake, we need to learn lessons.
‘I’ve just been speaking to the butcher here and he’s been making some very practical points about things he thinks could have been done better.’
She added: ‘We invest a lot every year in flood protection schemes and we will continue to do so, but there’s no indication that any of the flood defences have been overwhelmed in the way we’ve seen in the North of England.’
In fact, the money the Scottish Government gives to councils for flood defences each year has remained at £42million since 2008 – a cut in real terms.
After this newspaper carried criticism of Dr McLeod’s non-appearance yesterday, when communities were battling the worst of Storm Frank, a Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘Aileen does not want to speak to the Daily Mail.’
A number of local businesses said they had not seen Dr McLeod during her visit but they had spoken to Miss Sturgeon.
One man, who did not wish to be named, said: ‘She hasn’t come to my shop. I guess she’s a bit scared to take the questions. At least Nicola came and showed face.’
Speaking to one upset resident, Miss Sturgeon said: ‘It’s heartbreaking to see the devastation caused to people. This is probably the worst flooding Newton Stewart has experienced in living memory.’
She said the response had demonstrated ‘a real sense of community spirit’.
Parts of nearby Whitesands, in Dumfries, had suffered about five feet of flooding. It was the third time the River Nith had burst its banks in six weeks, and most of the 48 traders in the area were hit, with many residents needing to be rescued by boat on Wednesday night.
Rab Smith, owner of Domino Entertainments and chairman of Dumfries Retailers Association, said: ‘This is the fifth time this year I’ve been flooded and the loss this time is over £20,000. We can’t get insurance here and I’ve just finished paying off a £12,000 loan which I took out a few years back to get started again.
‘I’m really thinking about giving it up this time. There are 48 traders in this area and we’ve been promised flood defences since I started here in 1978 but still nothing.’
Further east, in Peebles, the River Tweed had receded and a separate clean-up operation was under way . People were asked to photograph waterlogged household possessions for insurance purposes before dumping them into skips.
At least 25 people were unable to return to their homes last night, and a further 25 from Peebles Nursing Home had been evacuated on Wednesday night and moved to a care home in Galashiels, Selkirkshire, where they remained.
Rob Dickson, gold commander for the multi-agency response, said those affected by flooding should contact his team if they were in need of further help or advice about their situation.
He added: ‘This has been a significantly challenging time and we are continuing to ask members of the public to take care when out and about as we are expecting wintry conditions over the next few days.’