Elderly evacuated by Red Cross as flooding hits North-east

Last night flood warnings were still in place for several areas of the north-east of Scotland. And the second day of the nearby Keith Country Show was cancelled yesterday because of the torrential rain.

The Met Office said the rain that has been battering the North-east was petering out yesterday, but warned fresh downpours would hit the west coast later in the week.

Red Cross rescue teams helped 46 elderly residents to safety from The Meadows care home in Burnside Road as the swollen River Deveron rose dangerously high.

Eight volunteers using an ambulance and three specialist patient transport vehicles ferried residents to other care homes in the area and to Huntly's Jubilee Hospital. Another 50 properties in the Meadows area were at risk from flooding, and residents were urged to seek safety in a rest centre set up by the council in a school.

Aberdeenshire Council's Marr area manager, Les Allan, said: "We should emphasise that at this stage this is purely a precautionary evacuation and there is no serious flooding on the ground as yet. But this could change, and we want to work with residents to be as prepared as possible for any eventuality."

The council was yesterday continuing to monitor water levels in Turriff and Kintore, two other areas that have been causing concern.

Ian Rideout, Red Cross operations director for Northern Scotland, said: "We were called in to help as soon as the river showed signs of bursting its banks. Our volunteers, who are all highly trained, helped care home staff move residents to the Red Cross vehicles to be transferred to alternative temporary accommodation, including the local hospital."

It is the second time in less than a year that The Meadows care home has been evacuated because the Deveron was threatening to burst its banks.

Yesterday afternoon, flood warnings were in force for Huntly Milltown and Meadows, Boat o' Brig to Fochabers, and Fochabers to Spey Bay, due to high river levels.

Red Cross volunteers were also in action around the clock at the weekend when torrential downpours washed out camping areas at the Belladrum Tartan Heart music festival near Inverness.

They cared for more than 60 people in a makeshift rest centre set up in one of the performance tents on higher ground.Vincent Fitzsimons, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency's duty hydrology manager, said most of the flooding problems had been around Angus, the North-east and the Moray coast.

"Scotland experienced a large amount of rain over the weekend and we saw an increase in river levels across the north and south-east because of that. One of the most intense periods of rain was in the North-east in the early hours of Monday morning," he said.

An emergency debate was held at Highland Council yesterday about flooding that hit Inverness, Culloden, Balloch and Smithton on Sunday. The A9 near Inverness had to be closed for about three hours on Sunday morning.

The weather is due to improve today, but further rain is forecast for tomorrow and Thursday, with hefty showers later in the week, particularly in the west.