THE Environment Minister has visited the north-east town hit by severe weather for a second weekend in a row.
Around 100 residents in Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire were evacuated because of flooding as the River Carron burst its banks in the early hours of Sunday and water rose to waist-height during the day.
It follows gale-force winds and high tides that caused millions of pounds-worth of damage along the east coast last weekend.
Paul Wheelhouse visited the town to speak to residents affected by the floods and thank people for the efforts to mitigate and clean up the damage.
“At what is a particularly difficult time of year to face such circumstances, I was reassured by authorities in Stonehaven that everyone who was forced from their homes over the weekend have now either gone to stay with relatives or been temporarily rehomed,” Mr Wheelhouse said.
“I was hugely impressed with the community spirit that was abundant. There are around 40 people helping out in the town hall where over £10,000-worth of gifts ranging from hampers to children’s toys have been handed in to give to those affected by the floods.
“The Scottish Government is continuing to work closely with Transport Scotland, local authorities, the emergency services, power companies and bodies such as Scottish Water to manage the impact on Scotland’s transport network and infrastructure and to ensure the clean-up operation is progressed as quickly as possible.”
Heavy rainfall in Fife and Tayside closed roads and caused some properties to be evacuated.
A yellow “be prepared” Met Office weather warning remains in east and central Scotland as more rain is forecast for tonight, while 19 flood warnings have been issued across the area.
Meanwhile, drivers are urged to be alert to the risk of standing water on the roads across the country.
Richard Brown, head of hydrology at the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, said: “There is a continuing risk of flooding across Aberdeenshire, Dundee and Angus, Fife, Tayside and the Borders today.
“River levels remain high in these areas and forecast rainfall could lead to further impacts although these are unlikely to be on the scale seen over the weekend. As well as being sensitive to further rainfall, these areas may also experience continuing disruption from existing standing water whilst clean-up operations take place.
“Further south, there is also a risk of flooding across central and southern Scotland, with the heaviest rainfall due over Dumfries and Galloway but extending over parts of the Borders.
The saturated conditions mean that even small amounts of rain could cause localised flooding.