Aberfeldy volunteers have praised Perth and Kinross Council for its response to last weekend’s major flooding.
The local authority has faced a torrent of criticism in Perth after floodgates were left open at the North Inch, allowing the River Tay to overspill and damage homes and properties.
However, Aberfeldy flood defence volunteer Val Ferguson said workers went out of their way to protect and reassure residents upriver.
“We can’t fault Perth and Kinross Council here,” she said.
“Lots of people from the council went above and beyond to help us.”
Val is one of the Tayside Waders – a group of residents in low-lying properties in the Tayside Crescent and Tayside Place area of Aberfeldy.
Their homes are across the golf course from the River Tay and next to a burn. So when flooding hits they tend to be among the first and worst affected.
The Waders keep a lock-up garage stocked with sandbags, water pumps and other flood aids, ready to distribute to people in need.
As the waters rose last Friday night and Saturday, Val started placing calls, while husband Andy posted flood markers at the golf course.
Red Cross on standby in Aberfeldy flooding
“It was frightening,” said Val.
“We could see the water level rising before our eyes.
“I have lived here all my life – we are used to flooding in Aberfeldy – and I have never it rise so quickly.”
A Town Hall volunteer said they’d put the heating on in case the building was needed as an evacuation centre. The Red Cross was put on standby. Staff in the Co-op said they’d be available after closing time if urgent supplies were required.
Val and her neighbours checked on older and vulnerable residents. Sandbags were despatched to everyone who needed them and others were told where to go for help.
Meanwhile residents from other parts of the town came offering help, as did complete strangers.
Val said she was still amazed by the reaction.
“I can’t thank everyone enough,” she said.
“It put us at ease to know that everything was in place, and that so many people were ready to do what was needed.”
Aberfeldy caravan park rescuers were flooding heroes
Some of the most dramatic scenes from the flooding unfolded at Aberfeldy Caravan Park, which sits by the riverside on the eastern edge of the town.
Here, local farmers and contractors came to the rescue, towing as many caravans as they could to safety.
In hindsight, it was probably quite dangerous, but I’m glad we could do something
Eddie McDiarmid led the effort after he passed by and noticed the rapidly rising water on Saturday.
He enlisted friends, Arron Lambie, Lewis Lambie, Rummy Kennedy and Andrew Scott, to help move caravans to higher ground.
“One disabled lady was stranded in her caravan so we carried her out first,” said Eddie.
“Then we worked with the owners who were there and got them to prepare their caravans for towing so we could move them to a yard along the road.”
Once they had run out of owners, they started dragging as many of the other caravans as they could shift before they had to quit for safety reasons.
“The river was rising so quickly,” said Eddie.
“I was jumping in and out of the tractor and the water was well above waist-height. It was up to your chest in places.
“In hindsight, it was probably quite dangerous, but I’m glad we could do something.”
Community rose to challenge – and will do so again
Aberfeldy Community Council will consider how the town responded to the flooding at its next meeting on November 7 in the town hall.
Chairman Victor Clements said it was vital that the community act on any lessons from the future.
He praised the “heroic effort” at the caravan park, and by Tayside Waders and the council.
However, he said the full impact of the latest flooding on Aberfeldy might only become apparent in the weeks to come.
Roads around the town have been damaged. Crops have also been affected and bales were swept out of farmers’ fields.
“We get a bit of flooding most years in Aberfeldy, but this was a big one,” said Victor.
“We were probably hit as badly as anywhere in Scotland on the Saturday. But the fact that it’s not Aberfeldy that everyone is talking about this week is a credit to all of the people here who anticipated it and did what was necessary to deal with it.”
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