By Marjory Inglis and Paul Reoch

TERRIFIED PEOPLE were plucked from rising flood waters last night as torrential downpours swamped Tayside.

Among the worst-hit parts was the Kinross/Milnathort area where several residents were rescued as water invaded their homes.

Around 30 houses were evacuated and residents moved to safety at a local school as the full emergency response involving the local authority and rescue services swung in to action.

Power was off in, at least, central Milnathort and there was a risk of all electricity supplies to Kinross and Milnathort being shut down last night.

Elsewhere in the region an “extremely frightened” woman was trapped on a road near Pitlochry and had to clamber on to the roof of her car as water levels inside the car became dangerously high.

She made a frantic 999 call from her mobile phone and spent 17 anxious minutes waiting before a passing lorry driver managed to rescue her.

A police spokesman said the woman was coaxed through her trauma by a 999 operator.

“Her vehicle became submerged in water that was rapidly rising,” he said.

“As she was speaking to one of our operators the water went from being at her ankles, up to her (car) bumper and then within minutes it was so deep she had to climb out on to the roof.

“Our operator reassured her and got the emergency services en route but, luckily for her, a lorry came past and the driver plucked her to safety.

“It was extremely frightening for the female involved.”

From early afternoon it was obvious the Perth and Kinross area was facing a potentially disastrous situation.

Tayside Fire and Rescue sent in extra crews and appliances from Dundee in readiness and were soon at full stretch coping with the demand from people trapped and helpless.

“We have got a major flooding incident going on at Milnathort,” said Graham Hynie, station manager at the service’s headquarters in Dundee last night.

“There was five feet of water inside one woman’s house when we got there.”

A resident in Milnathort said the pub, post office and many houses were severely flooded.

Dawn Ramage said she was upstairs in her home as the ground floor had been flooded.

She described the situation as “complete chaos” and said flood water had extended across a “huge area of Milnathort.”

“It’s affected lots of businesses and loads and loads of houses,” she said.

“The emergency services are here. We’ve got the fire. We’ve got the police. They’re going round asking if they want to be evacuated.

“From where I can see, most people are retreating upstairs and just sitting it out, but I believe in some areas they’ve had to take people out.”

Residents had been warned earlier last night to be prepared for flooding after a day of persistent rain led to 16 severe flood warnings across Scotland, with 11 of them in Perth and Kinross.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) highlighted the worst areas as including the River Lyon, vast stretches of the Tay and the River Tummel.

Continued heavy rain resulted in Loch Lyon overflowing, prompting SEPA to issue the first severe warning.

The agency issued severe warnings for the Tay from Kenmore to Perth, the Almond from Almondbank to the Tay, the Ericht from Blairgowrie to the Isla, and the Isla from Bridge of Ruthven to the Tay.

Many miles of the River Earn, from Loch Earn to Bridge of Earn, were also subject to a series of severe warnings.

Also “severe” was the River Teith at Callander.

The situation was so bad John Anderson, SEPA hydrology manager, told residents to prepare for the worst.

“It’s a case of thinking about all the things you need to do if your home gets flooded,” he said.

“On top of all the rain we’ve had in the past few weeks we have a number of lochs and reservoirs that are very full, and there’s some snow that has fallen off the hills with some intensity, which has just tipped the whole thing over the edge.

“So what we’re seeing now is that the level of the River Tay is higher than last week.”

SEPA advice was there was a “serious danger to life and property” and residents should take immediate steps to protect themselves as “continuing rain is expected to worsen conditions.”

People in Aberfeldy were warned to be prepared with sandbags and to take valuables upstairs.

Transport was also affected with the main railway line between Perth and Aviemore being closed and hazardous conditions for motorists throughout Perth and Kinross.

Perth’s flood prevention scheme was activated yesterday and flood gates closed.

A Tayside Police officer last night described the flooding situation in the area as “pandemonium.”

She said, “It’s been awful with the flooding affecting many roads in Perth and Kinross. The slip road from the A9 into Pitlochry is closed and it seems the rainfall is causing chaos to many roads in the area.”

And it was a similar outlook for Tayside Fire and Rescue, with its personnel dealing with 11 “serious” cases of flooding for householders in the Milnathort and Kinross areas. A spokesman said that five appliances were dealing with the problem.

North Tayside MSP John Swinney voiced his concern as the events unfolded.

He said, “I am very concerned about the flooding situation in my constituency. SEPA have reported to me tonight the position is worse than it was last week and there are now more rivers in my constituency that have severe flood warnings in place.”

A series of roads were affected by flooding earlier in the day, with diversions in place. Roads closed were the A823 at Glendevon, the A822 at Braco, the A912 (Fife side), the B918 Balado, the C449 Fortingall to Fearnan road and the C457 at Strathallan was passable with care, while the B846 Aberfeldy-Weem was closed with a diversion in place.

A witness told The Courier that there was a minor landslide on the A823 road towards Gleneagles. “There must have been five inches of rain on the road and debris was clearly falling down,” he said.

A spokesman from SEPA said last night, “With more rain forecast for later today and tomorrow, we are urging those who live, work or travel in flood risk areas across Scotland to be prepared for flooding.

“Heavy rain over the course of today has caused river levels to rise further, and so far SEPA has issued six severe flood warnings and three flood warnings in Perth and Kinross. The Met Office has forecast more rain for later on today and overnight.

“At present the worst affected areas are Rivers Lyon, Tay and Teith. River levels on the Tay are expected to be higher than in the last few weeks. SEPA hydrologists are continuing to monitor weather forecasts and river levels around the clock and will issue further advice through our Floodline service.”