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Flooding Affects Dozens Of Scottish Homes

Flooding Affects Dozens Of Scottish Homes

More than 100 residents have been evacuated from their homes after Scottish villages were affected by flooding after heavy rain.

Residents in Comrie, Perthshire, were forced to leave when the Water of Ruchill burst its banks just before 8am.

Tayside Fire and Rescue Service said about 70 firefighters and 10 appliances were at the scene, including water rescue teams.

The flooding has extended into large parts of Dalginross, Camp Road, Bank Road, Tay Avenue, Glebe Road and Duke Road, the fire service said.

Roads around Dalginross have been closed by police and an emergency rest centre has been set up by Perth and Kinross Council at Strathearn leisure centre in nearby Crieff.

Properties have also been flooded in Dunblane, Aberfoyle and Callander, a spokesman for Central Scotland Fire and Rescue Service said, leading to the main street in Aberfoyle being closed in both directions.

A Red Cross spokesman said the volunteers, who are based in Dundee, have helped more than 20 people who were evacuated from their properties, including a number of elderly people from two care homes.

Other volunteers have been standing by in a specially-equipped Red Cross Fire and Emergency Services Support (FESS) vehicle, which is an adapted mobile home where people can be given shelter, first aid, emotional support and dry clothing.

Robert Colburn, Red Cross senior service manager for east Scotland, said: "Our FESS team were called in by Tayside Fire and Rescue at about 11.15am.

"Just 20 minutes later, we were asked to send in emergency response volunteers by the Scottish Ambulance Service.

"Our main duties are to look after the welfare of people arriving at the rest centre and to give as much help as we can to the emergency services.

"All Red Cross FESS and emergency response volunteers are highly-trained in the skills needed to look after people in times of crisis such as flooding or house fires.

"As an emergency response organisation, the Red Cross has vast experience of helping people in all sorts of crises."

Rab Middlemiss, group manager at Tayside Fire and Rescue, said that about 30 people who had moved out of their homes because of flooding in Comrie in August had again been hit by the severe weather.

"Before they get a chance to get back in, we've had these same properties affected," he said.

"Now what we need to look at is how are we going to prevent this happening in the longer term."

Ian Miller, leader of Perth and Kinross Council, said officers had been sent to the site of flooding in Comrie today, many of whom would remain overnight.

He said: "In addition to the 2,000 floodsax we had previously arranged to be stored in Comrie, council staff provided an extra 920 sandbags.

"The council takes its responsibility to residents seriously and has provided a rest centre, where housing officers and social work officers are available to help secure emergency accommodation."

Ian Miller, leader of Perth and Kinross Council, said officers had been sent to the site of flooding in Comrie today, many of whom would remain overnight.

He said: "In addition to the 2,000 floodsax we had previously arranged to be stored in Comrie, council staff provided an extra 920 sandbags.

"The council takes its responsibility to residents seriously and has provideda rest centre, where housing officers and social work officers are available to help secure emergency accommodation."