Communities say they are still struggling to piece their lives back together a year on since Storm Babet devastated the UK.
Three people died and hundreds fled their homes as the storm brought flooding and 70mph gusts of wind through the north east of Scotland in October 2023.
Brechin, in Angus, was at the epicentre of Storm Babet – and the town is still recovering one year on.
Caroline Monro was one of hundreds of people evacuated from their homes in the town.
The 77-year-old said the water levels nearly rose to around four-and-a-half feet in height.
She said she still suffers “nightmares and flashbacks” following the disaster.
She told STV News: “I was trapped inside my house and had to cling on to the window whilst I was waiting for the Coastguard and the fire brigade to come and rescue me.
“The current was so strong they had difficulty pushing the door in.
“I was hanging on for dear life, by my fingertips on the windowsill. I was going in and out of consciousness, terrified.
“It was very, very frightening.”
STV NewsHundreds fled their properties when the River South Esk burst its banks and overtopped flood defences, which sent water pouring into the lower floors of many properties.
Many for the last year have been staying in temporary accommodation, like neighbours Mary Kennedy and David Dewar.
David said: “It was just carnage. It’s not a nice image to see.
“It’s hard to recognise it was my house.”
“It does go through your mind as if to say ‘will it happen again’,” Mary added.
“But it’s our home, so you come back.”
STV NewsStorm Babet brought unprecedented flooding to much of the country.
Roads turned to rivers, with people left trapped inside their own homes.
Three people lost their lives in Scotland.
John Gillan, 56, was struck by a falling tree in Forfar; Wendy Taylor, 57, was swept into the Water of Lee and the body of 61-year-old Peter Pelling was found in Aberdeenshire following a three-day search.
STV NewsResidents of Bridge of Dun had to be airlifted via helicopter, while in other areas people stranded by floodwater were rescued by boats, including canoes.
Tayside Mountain Rescue leader Paul Morgan recalled the mammoth rescue effort during Storm Babet, which was the biggest ever witnessed in Angus.
He said: “There was pretty much a solid 72-hour period where we were deployed.
“There wasn’t a lot of sleep, there wasn’t a lot of downtime.
“There were just so many people needing help and obviously we’re there to do that – both ourselves and the volunteer team we work with.
“I’ve been doing this a long time and you think you get used to it.
“But there were certainly a few times over the course of those 72 hours where I was taken aback by the extent of the water damage.”
STV News‘There’s less confidence in the town now’
Homes have been left unrecognisable due to the damage, with some not knowing if they will ever be able to return.
Locals have been attending weekly drop-ins at The Crickety community centre since the disaster last year.
Community development manager Grant Hutchison said they have been helping people by providing grants and support packs for displaced residents.
He said there is a shared sense of anxiety in Brechin after the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency issued an amber flood warning for most of the country.
“As well as the hundreds we’re helping who were directly affected, there are also those who suffer a little bit from the after-effects,” Grant said.
STV News“There’s less confidence in the town.
“There’s doom and gloom, people are stressed and worried. The weather warning for the weekend is adversely affecting people.
“We’re wondering if there’s another day the tide will come in. The defences there to cope with things didn’t work. There are still problems.
“We hoped we’d get more answers and more help from elsewhere. Unfortunately that’s not been forthcoming.”
‘Absolutely catastrophic’
STV NewsA report will go before councillors in Angus outlining possible next steps for the town’s road to recovery in November.
They include demolishing properties and building a higher flood defence system.
Angus council leader Bill Duff said: “I think all of the 58 houses that have been emptied, people are now in houses somewhere else.
“Some of them may want to come back here, some of them may not.
“Until we’ve done the next piece of work, then that’s not going to be clear if that’s possible or indeed desirable.”
Mr Duff denied claims circulating on social media that the town’s £16m coastal flood defences had failed.
He said: “The flood defences here were built to deal with 3.7 metre above normal levels – the water reached 4.6m, a metre over the wall. It was significant overtopped.
“In terms of preparation we done what we could do. Council staff worked very, very hard to ensure people got relocated, provided welfare rights assistance and offered help with mental health and drop-in facilities.
“The impact of Storm Babet has been absolutely catastrophic, way beyond what anyone thought could happen. It was obviously very traumatic.”
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