Storms and sudden f loods wreak havoc
RESIDENTS were trapped inside their homes and a motorist was killed after a ferocious storm caused widespread flooding across large areas of the country.
Torrential rains saw a village street engulfed, homes evacuated and transport networks grind to a halt as more than three inches of water fell in just a few hours.
A motorist was killed after a tree was blown down in the storm on Tuesday night, while police were carrying out riverbank searches for a woman reported missing from her home in Aberdeen yesterday.
Schools were forced to close, trams were cancelled and roads were shut due to flooding. The storm, caused by an Atlantic weather system ‘rotating’ over the UK, prompted Met Office officials to issue several flood alerts earlier this week.
Scotland was hit by 85mm (3.3in) of rain in 48 hours compared to the average of 61mm (2.4in) for the whole of June.
The North-east of the country bore the brunt of the deluge, with homes in the coastal village of Portsoy evacuated and some residents left unable to leave their homes.
Fire and rescue crews evacuated three elderly people from their homes in the village’s Soy Avenue yesterday. Portsoy and District Community Council secretary Moira Stewart was one of the village residents stuck in her house.
She said: ‘I can’t get out at either end of the road because they’re flooded. It is flooded at the Soy burn down to the loch. If you don’t have a jeep you can’t get through, and I’ve only got a small car.’
One of the worst affected buildings in the village was a recently renovated sail factory which has been turned into a four-star hostel and is due to be officially opened by the Duke of Rothesay, Prince Charles, next Tuesday.
A Clarence House spokesman said: ‘We are very much hoping that the visit will go ahead, despite the building being affected by the recent heavy rain.’
On Tuesday night, a 42-year-old man died after a tree hit his car on the A85 road near Gilmerton in Perthshire around 8pm amid heavy rain and high winds.
Concern was also mounting for 62-year-old Moira Morrison, from Aberdeen, who was last seen around 3pm on Tuesday along the banks of the River Dee in the city’s Garthdee area.
Extensive searches were carried out throughout the night. Inspector Steve McEwan, who is leading the inquiry, said: ‘This is completely out of character for her and we are growing increasingly concerned.’
Schools across Aberdeenshire and Moray were shut yesterday due to the storms, while six people and two dogs were rescued from their flood-hit cars when a bank burst at Nairn on the road between Forres and Dyke.