Up to 300 Angus homes were saved from “catastrophe” by prevention works in the aftermath of Storm Frank, it has emerged.
Brechin witnessed the South Esk’s highest level in a century on December 30 as ceaseless rainfall saw rivers rise across Courier Country.
Several homes have been evacuated but experts believe the town’s incomplete flood prevention works prevented the devastation from being much worse.
Angus Council resilience manager Jacqui Semple said the high level of the South Esk surpassed records by 35 to 40 centimetres on December 30 and would have flooded Brechin “day after day” without the scheme in place.
The town was visited by the Scottish Government’s rural affairs secretary Richard Lochhead on a whistle-stop tour of communities affected by flooding.
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Mr Lochhead spoke to two families who recently returned to their River Street homes after evacuation.
Mr Lochhead said: “There’s no doubt that many of the flood schemes across Scotland over the last few years have had radically reduced the impact of extraordinary conditions and extreme weather.
“For instance here in Brechin the scheme has saved between 200 and 300 houses that would otherwise have been flooded.
“Although that’s not much comfort to the homes that were affected, and when I spoke to families, it shows the proactive approach is having results.”
With a skip full of belongings at his front door, Paul Fowlie said he had never seen flooding on the street of such a scale, and would be sleeping at a friend’s house until he could return home.
But next door neighbour Roger Seaman said he was given inadequate early flood warning by SEPA which Mr Lochhead denied would be influenced by budget cuts.
Local councillor Mairi Evans said she believed the system of flood alleviation being built along River Street scheduled for completion in the spring will protect the people of Brechin in future.
She said: “This is the worst flooding we’ve had since 1918 and the fact we’ve had four properties flooded instead of the thousands that could have been affected is a massive achievement.
“I know that’s not any consolation to the people that were flooded out and had to look for houses.
“But if you look at what could have been if we hadn’t had those defences in place I think we’ve saved an absolute catastrophe.”