Flood-hit residents 'won't be home for Christmas'

Some residents whose homes were flooded during Storm Babet will not be home in time for Christmas, a councillor has warned.

Gavin Nicol said the full extent of the damage in the Angus town of Brechin had yet to be established.

The red warnings covering parts of Scotland have expired and conditions improved throughout Sunday.

But a yellow ice warning for most of the country will be in place from 21:00 to 09:00 on Monday.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) said river levels across the north and north east remain high.

A number of flood alerts have been issued but no rain is forecast for the next two days.

And the A90 remains closed between Dundee and Stonehaven as experts inspect the road and bridge structures.

Mr Nicol, who represents the Brechin and Edzell Ward, said parts of the town were still coated in contaminated sludge and silt.

Asked when some people would be get back into their homes he told BBC Scotland's The Sunday Show: "It will be an extensive period.

"It will take a fair bit of sorting.

"These houses won't be ready by Christmas.

Mr Nicol admitted the town's flood defences, which were upgraded in 2016, now need to be reviewed.

He said: "The weather conditions are changing.

"Probably the goalposts have shifted now and they are going to have to look at new measures now and ways of doing it."

The councillor said one possible option would be to plant more trees in the surrounding glens to restrict the flow of water.

Mr Nicol added: "I am hoping the first minister will take pity on us and give us more money for Angus Council."

Humza Yousaf is expected to visit the area on Monday to thank those involved in the flood response, including the emergency services and local volunteers.

Two people died during the storm in Scotland and searches continue for a man reported missing to police on Friday, who is said to have been trapped in a vehicle in floodwater in Marykirk, Aberdeenshire.

A 57-year-old woman died on Thursday after being swept into the Water of Lee, Glen Esk, and a 56-year-old man was killed the same day after a falling tree hit a van near Forfar in Angus.

Two people have also died in England, including a woman in her 80s in Chesterfield.

Sepa's flood duty manager Vincent Fitzsimons said: "The last week has been very challenging for people in Scottish communities, who have experienced another severe weather event.

"While the weather is an improving picture today, and rivers will continue to fall throughout the day, it's important to remember that there are still hazards caused by flood waters and it's important not to put yourself at risk."

Energy firm SSEN said it restored power to 37,000 customers during the storm and fixed more than 450 faults across its network.

It also confirmed households impacted by power cuts for more than 12 hours were entitled to £30 per person, for every day without power, to cover food and drink costs.

SSEN urged customers to keep hold of receipts and claim costs back via its website.

ScotRail said most services would be back to normal on Monday but some may start later in the morning in Fife.

It added the Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh line will remain closed until at least Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Aberdeen - Elgin route has re-opened but the Aberdeen - Dundee line remains closed.

Customers are advised to check the ScotRail website before they travel.

Scott Prentice, interim commercial director, said: "Unfortunately, we are still seeing some extremely challenging conditions on the rail network in Fife, the northeast, and the far north caused by the most rainfall experienced in Scotland since 1891.

"Our first priority is always the safety of customers and staff, and we won't run services until we are absolutely sure the lines are safe."

Meanwhile, the operators of a North Sea drilling platform said it was "secure" despite losing four of its eights anchors during Storm Babet.

Elsewhere, residents in the Aberdeen suburb of Peterculter were advised to leave their homes on Saturday in case of flooding.

The Scottish government's resilience room met on Saturday to discuss the "exceptional" levels of rain that had fallen in parts of the country.

The meeting, chaired by Justice Secretary Angela Constance, heard several areas were still dealing with severe flooding while some rivers remain at hazardous levels.

Ms Constance said: "The storm has caused significant damage and, while flooding is still occurring, it is not expected to be as serious as over the last 24 hours.

"The impact, however, will be felt in communities for some time to come."

She added that while many local authorities were still responding to the immediate impacts of the storm, thoughts were now turning to recovery.

Ms Constance said: "Over the coming days and weeks, we will stay in close contact with local authorities to support the people and businesses affected."