Brechin flooding: Humza Yousaf pledges support

First Minister Humza Yousaf has pledged government support for an Angus community devastated by the Storm Babet floods.

Mr Yousaf met those affected by extreme weather in Brechin after the River South Esk breached flood defences.

He did not confirm how much financial aid ministers would provide after councillors called for extra cash from the government.

Three people have died in Scotland as a result of Storm Babet.

The main A90 trunk route through north east Scotland remains closed between Forfar and Brechin, causing severe disruption for individuals and businesses.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) said river levels across the north and north east remained high, but no rain is forecast for the next two days.

During a visit to River Street in Brechin, Mr Yousaf described the flooding as "unprecedented" with more than a month's worth of rainfall over the weekend.

After meeting residents, he told BBC Scotland News: "It's clear that the devastation of the storm is unlike anything that they've seen."

The first minister said discussions would continue with the local authority over the coming "days, weeks and months" about what support the government could provide, potentially including money for flood defence improvements.

"I'm hoping my being here so quickly after that terrible weather event is a demonstration the government at the highest level will be involved in discussions with Angus Council to help as much as we possibly can," he said.

"We know that the recovery is going to be long because I've seen myself the scale of the devastation in some of the houses and some of the businesses here but the government is here for the long haul with our partners in local government."

Mr Yousaf said the government had already committed to providing £150m for flooding support over the course of the parliamentary term, on top of £42m given to local authorities annually to help with flood defences.

As of June, £31m of the £150m flood risk management fund had been allocated to local authorities.

The first minister confirmed that the Bellwin scheme - a discretionary fund designed to help councils which face extra costs as a result of large-scale emergencies - had been activated earlier this month.

Parts of the A90 between Aberdeen and Brechin and between Dundee and Forfar reopened on Monday. However, the section between Brechin and Forfar remains shut.

Amey, which maintains the roads network, has warned that section of road could remain closed for weeks if major repairs are required on two high-risk structures near Finavon.

If the results of the structural analysis are more positive, it said the road could reopen on Tuesday with a contraflow in place.

Tom Wallace, from Amey, said the firm was "exploring all the options".

Transport Scotland said: "Safety is our number one priority in reopening any route and Transport Scotland officials are in close contact with our operating companies to ensure we have the most up to date information.

"Inspections to a number of structures are ongoing, with current conditions affecting the completion of all necessary work.

"With both Police Scotland and Traffic Scotland we're keeping road operating conditions in the affected area under review, this includes allowing access for emergency services vehicles."

Aberdeenshire Council said the A92 coastal road remained closed between Montrose and St Cyrus, where a bridge would only be inspected when it was safe to do so.

The closures on the A90 have had a knock-on effect on the supply chain, with supermarkets in the north east reporting some empty shelves in recent days.

The Scottish Retail Consortium said retailers had contingency plans in place to minimise the impact on customers.

Angus councillor Gavin Nicol said the full extent of the damage in the Angus town of Brechin had yet to be established, but he warned some people could be permanently shut out of their homes.

He called for both long-term funding to improve flood defences, which were upgraded in 2016, and cash for building repairs and surveys.

"We really need finance from the Scottish government to protect our residents, to rehome them - some will be out for months if not permanently," Mr Nicol told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland.

Mr Yousaf earlier thanked volunteers, the local council and the emergency services for their work in supporting people evacuated from their properties.

On Sunday Mr Nicol, who represents the Brechin and Edzell Ward, warned that some residents whose homes were flooded would not be home in time for Christmas.

He 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 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."

Three people were killed in Scotland during the storm. John Gillan, 56, from Arbroath, died on Thursday after a falling tree hit his van near Forfar.

Perthshire businesswoman Wendy Taylor, 57, was swept away in the Water of Lee, Glen Esk.

And Police Scotland said officers carrying out searches after reports that a man was trapped in a vehicle in floodwater near Marykirk, Aberdeenshire, on Friday had now recovered a body.

The storm has also claimed two lives in England, a man in his 60s in Shropshire and a woman in her 80s in Chesterfield.

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 were now running again. Customers are advised to check the ScotRail website before they travel.