The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Angus takes huge hit as
ANGUS BORE the brunt of flood misery in Courier Country yesterday.
The county was hit by a torrent of road closures and was worst affected with houses stricken by flooding in Brechin, Glamis, Strathmartine and Montrose.
Firefighters spent four hours pumping out flood water from a house in Taranty in Brechin after the alarm was raised around 9.50am.
The first row of houses in Charleston village were also affected by heavy rain and sandbags were being delivered by Angus Council to protect against the flood water.
Around 10am water quickly flew down the hill and engulfed the village as residents began to battle the elements.
Sandbags were heaved into place while residents dug makeshift trenches and used mops and brushes to get rid of the water.
Firefighters arrived to pump water out as it began seeping into people’s houses but the damage appeared to be kept to a minimum.
Morna Simpson said: “This happened a few years ago on the same scale but this time the water came down the hill much quicker.
“It came down off the Strathmore Estate and the burn burst its banks and the water covered the village. We dug trenches so the water had somewhere to go and mopped up as best we could.
“Luckily the water didn’t get into vents or it could have been a lot worse.”
She called for the estate to do more to tackle the problem of flooding.
Neighbour Linda Ellis added: “Everyone mucked in and you have to take your hat off to the firefighters.”
Water got into her home but firefighters managed to pump it out before it got through to the living room and did any damage.
Sandbags were also in place outside Glamis Primary School while firefighters also pumped out water from a property in Rosemill in Strathmartine.
Severe flooding also engulfed Gallery House in Montrose, where firefighters remained from just before lunchtime as the rain continued to batter down.
The busy A92 was forced to close to rush hour traffic at Ethiebeaton between Dundee and Arbroath after two cars were stranded in deep water.
There were several reports of cars getting into difficulty as a result of drivers attempting to plough through deep water, causing engines to fail.
Coastal roads took the hardest hit yesterday morning, and areas prone to natural flooding were under close watch.
To the north, the A937 Laurencekirk to Montrose road was closed at Marykirk because it was flooded and not passable.
Further north, heavy surface water on the A90 Laurencekirk to Stonehaven road made driving conditions hazardous, with water running onto the road from fields.
Pupils from Mearns Academy who normally use Stagecoach Services to St Cyrus, Auchenblae and Edzell Woods were sent home on their buses at 12.30pm due to deteriorating roads.
On the edge of reclaimed land from Forfar Loch, Craig o’ Loch Road was badly flooded, with only all-terrain vehicles able to pass.
Flooding was experienced in many parts of Angus around Brechin, Wellbank, Emmock, Kellas, Gagie and Tealing, as the rain stubbornly remained.
Due to standing water there was no access to Kingsmuir from the Forfar side during the day with diversions put in place by police.
There was also a lot of heavy surface water around the Wards Road/Ferguson Avenue area in Brechin and by the park.
The Lunan and Vinney rivers also burst their banks on the west side of Friockheim as the deluge continues to see rivers rise.
There were reports the A92 Montrose to Arbroath road was also blocked in both directions for a time during the morning due to flooding.
The eastbound lane of the A92 between Ardownie and Ardestie was also closed during the day along with the B978 road between Kellas and Draffin; the B9127 junction of the A90 and Whigstreet; and Burnside Place, Ferryden.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency acted withAngus Council to attend a section of River Street in Brechin.
At times the street, adjacent to the South Esk, was entirely covered in water.
The area has been the focus of a longrunning dispute over flood prevention methods.
Authorities and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency also monitored river levels with warnings centred on the Isla at Alyth, the Esk at Bridge of Dun and the Lyon at Bridge of Balgie.