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Aberdeenshire Council monitors possible flooding in Huntly overnight

Aberdeenshire Council officers have been working with partner agencies into the night to monitor the further potential for flooding in The Meadows area of Huntly.

Taking advice from weather experts from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and the Met Office, and working with colleagues from Grampian Police, NHS Grampian, Grampian Fire and Rescue Service, the Scottish Ambulance Service and the Red Cross, officers were able to put precautionary measures in place to allow an evacuation to run smoothly should the need have urgently arisen.

Water levels on the River Deveron continue to be high and became close to close to critical during the early hours of the morning. The level of rainfall in the area has fluctuated significantly over the last few days, and it is recognised that in just a few short hours the level of caution demanded can quickly change.

Precautionary measures included alerting residents in the area, having Red Cross transport vehicles on standby, ensuring alternative accommodation was available for care home residents, making arrangements to open a rescue centre with skeleton staffing and alerting Grampian Housing Association who were able to install flood gates at short notice.

The level of rainfall has now eased off and water levels are dropping steadily and it is hoped that this will continue. SEPA uses a predictive model to estimate water levels and this changes in line with weather conditions.

Aberdeenshire Council’s Marr Area Manager, Les Allan, said: “It is important that we are proactive in our approach as an evacuation is much more difficult in the dark and as conditions worsen.

“The council is continuing to monitor water levels across Aberdeenshire and will continue to work with partner agencies to ensure the safety and protection of our residents.”

This coordinated approach by the council and its partner organisations is formalised by the Grampian Strategic Coordinating Group which is intended to ensure the safety of our communities in an emergency.

For useful information on how to prepare for possible flooding and other emergencies, please see: http://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/emergency/planning.asp

SEPA is continuing to monitor the situation and will provide flood information updates regarding rising river levels via their website and hotline service.

For more information, please see their website here: http://floodline.sepa.org.uk/floodupdates/

Advice and information is also available through Floodline on 0845 9881188.

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