Storm Desmond kills 90-year-old and forces dozens of families out of their homes

TERRIFIED families were forced to flee their homes as Storm Desmond tore through Scotland.

Authorities issued a rare red weather warning meaning loss of life was possible for most of the south of the country.

And the Met Office warned torrential downpours and severe winds were set to continue today.

Dumfries and Galloway Council said it was preparing for flooding similar to that which hit the region in 2009 as it called the situation a “major emergency”.

Around 1,000 people were evacuated in Hawick a town previously devastated by floods a decade ago after the River Teviot again burst its banks.

Red Cross volunteers set up and run a rest centre in the Borders town with people being forced to stay there overnight.

The town’s provost Stuart Marshall said: “This is a grave situation. We are now preparing for flooding in excess of 2005 levels.”

Roads around the town were affected by landslips.

Jim Fraser, emergency planning officer for Scottish Borders Council, said: “Given the potential impact of the rising river levels it was imperative that residents were evacuated as early as possible.

“The Met Office is advising that the Borders will be on the end of very heavy and persistent rainfall and there is the potential for significant disruption.”

Around 700 people were evacuated in nearby Newcastleton.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency issued more than 70 flood warnings in place across the country.

In Anstruther, Fife, a fire engine ploughed into a house on one of the town’s main roads.

One local said he heard a loud bang at 5.30pm yesterday. He said: “It seems to have lost control and skidded into the house. There was a lot of water on the road.

“Luckily there was no one in the house or on the pavement at the time otherwise it would have been lethal.”

Witnesses said a fire officer was taken to hospital with a leg injury.

A spokesman for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service confirmed four firemen were rushed to hospital following the smash.

He said: “Our thoughts and best wishes are with our personnel. Welfare support is in place for crew members and their families.

“Alternative fire cover arrangements have also been instigated for St Monans while affected personnel are off duty.”

In Perth, the River Tay is expected to reach its highest level for more than a decade, and other rivers are at risk of bursting their banks.

Almost 20 properties in Blair Atholl, Perthshire, were evacuated yesterday afternoon after the Garry Burn burst its banks.

But the residents were allowed to return as the water level receded.

Marc Becker, of the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, said: “Across Scotland we have seen rivers have risen significantly through Saturday and will remain very high throughout Sunday.

“This is causing widespread agricultural flooding but is now also widely impacting on transport and communities.”

People are being warned to take extreme care on the roads. Many are awash with dangerous surface water,

One driver of a FedEx lorry lost control in the lashing rain yesterday, hitting the central reservation of the M8 at Bathgate, West Lothian.

The spill closed both lanes.

And a landslide from a hill above Altura, in the Highlands, dumped at least 200 tonnes of debris on the A82 between Spean Bridge and Invergarry.

The M90 and M9 have also been hit by standing water as deep as 3ft in places.

In Falkland, Fife, a double-decker bus with passengers on board was blown off the road. There were no injuries.

The majority of yesterday’s football matches were postponed due to waterlogging or high winds.

The Scottish Government was forced to hold two emergency meetings yesterday to discuss the steps being taken to address the impact of the flooding.

Following the talks, Deputy First Minister John Swinney described destructive Desmond as a very “serious situation”.

“We have seen exceptional rainfall, caused in part by rising temperatures and rapid snow melt, combined with gale force winds,” he said.

“It is clear that people across Scotland are experiencing some challenging situations and we will do all we can to help them at this stressful time.”

The severe weather is expected well into today Mr Swinney warned.

In England, the storms was linked to at least one death a 90-year-old man, who was killed when a gust of wind blew him into the side of a moving bus in London.

A “major incident” was declared in Cumbria after some of the most ferocious flooding in years.

Thousands of people were affected at homes in Kendal, Appleby and Keswick.