The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
‘Perfect storm’ hits east coast
A FLOOD alert was issued for Courier Country yesterday as the area counted the cost of a weekend of carnage.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency warned residents in Tayside and Fife to be prepared for further misery as the north-east continues to be battered by heavy rain and high tides.
Families were forced from their homes as sea water breached the east coast, with the Scottish Government convening an emergency task force.
Environment Minister Paul Wheelhouse chaired a Holyrood Resilience Room meeting yesterday to discuss the weather, describing the conditions as a “perfect storm”.
He said: “Already communities are coming together with volunteers, helping in the debris clean-up operation, in partnership with local authorities.
“I thank people for their efforts and this community spirit will be important as the worst affected areas return to normality.”
On Friday one crew member aboard a North Sea standby vessel, the Vos Sailor, died after the vessel suffered serious storm damage out at sea.
In Stonehaven, 25 people were evacu- ated from their homes, many of whom were elderly residents at two sheltered housing units which flooded in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Communities in the Mearns and Aberdeenshire were some of the worst effected areas, with a further 30 people ordered to leave their homes in Peterhead due to flooding.
Power supplies were cut in some towns and there was substantial damage to a range of properties.
A 15m section of harbour wall collapsed in Lossiemouth, Moray, and huge waves caused up to £500,000 of damage to North Berwick harbour in East Lothian as the sea defences were destroyed.
The high tide reached Angus and the Mearns at around 2.30pm yesterday and people evacuated from affected properties earlier in the day remained out of their homes last night.
Police warned motorists to drive with caution as the wet conditions mixed with freezing temperatures on the roads.
Severe weather warnings were also put in place for the Highlands, Grampian and Central Scotland.
MEARNS RESIDENTS los t personal belongings and Christmas presents after a freak flood swamped their rooms as they slept.
Frightened pensioners were among 25 people evacuated from their homes in Stonehaven at the weekend as heavy rain and high tides caused chaos.
Residents in Turner’s Court and Hanover Court sheltered housing units were forced from their beds at 3.30am on Saturday as flood water cascaded through both buildings.
The Rev Rosslyn Duncan of Stonehaven Dunnottar Church, opened St Bridget’s Hall to give the evacuees a place to spend the night.
“It was really quite distressing for a lot of them,” she said. Some of them woke up to quite deep water in their rooms, and obviously that would have come as a shock.”
Volunteers and members of the WRVS manned the rescue centre throughout the night.
The Rev Duncan praised the actions of the emergency services and Aberdeenshire Council, who she said were quick to react.
The council’s area manager for Kincardine and Mearns, Willie Munro, said: “Trained council staff and emergency services personnel are on hand at St Bridget’s Hall to provide support for the people who have been evacuated.
“High tide in Stonehaven has passed and, while we continue to monitor the levels of the River Carron closely, there are currently no concerns that the river will flood.”
The emergency response was managed by the Grampian strategic coordinating group, made up of a number of organisations including Aberdeenshire Council, Grampian Police, Grampian Fire and Rescue Service, Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) and the ScottishAmbulance Service.
A spokesman for Grampian Police said David Street in Stonehaven was closed between Rodney Street and Barclay Street, with the town’s Shorehead and Harbour areas also shut.
More than 120 areas across the UK were on flood alert over the weekend as heavy rain continued to lash the country.
Sepa are keeping the situation under constant review.
Authorities took action because of unusually high waters, which also affected other parts of Scotland.
Minister for environment and climate change, Paul Wheelhouse, said: “Local emergency services moved quickly to deal with the aftermath of the flooding, which was caused by unusually high tides and high winds, in Stonehaven and Peterhead.”
A spokeswoman for Aberdeenshie Council said: “A flooding advice centre will be set up at the council’s housing office on Allardice Street in Stonehaven on Monday, from 11am until 4.30pm.
“People affected by flooding will be able to receive advice on the services and support available to them.”
For information go to aberdeenshire.gov. uk/flooding.
Fife emerged relatively unscathed after stormy weather battered the east coast.
Kirkcaldy Esplanade was closed as a precaution at high tide, when huge waves crashed over the sea wall.
Fife Council said it would be assessing the promenade for damage.
Meanwhile, East Basin car park in Anstruther was closed after floodwater scattered rubble and debris across the tarmac.
There were no reports of damage to any properties in the region.