A VILLAGE was cut off by floodwater, schools and roads were closed and homes were left without power as gales and rain battered Moray yesterday.
Gusts of up to 83mph and 79mph were recorded at Kinloss and Lossiemouth respectively at the peak of the storm and council staff worked flat out to respond to a string of incidents across the region.
Firefighters had to rescue a woman and child after they got trapped in their car in floodwater at Kingston Road, near Garmouth.
Three fire brigade units – from Elgin, Fochabers and Buckie – went to the scene shortly after midday, along with the flood-response unit and water-rescue team.
They managed to get the pair to safety, but both access roads to Kingston were impassable either side of high tide at about 1.30pm.
Along the coast at Portessie, passengers on a Stagecoach bus travelling towards Inverness had to be evacuated after the vehicle was caught in a flood at the waterfront.
A company spokeswoman confirmed that a replacement vehicle was sent, slightly delaying the service, before the council closed the A942 Buckie-Portessie road.
The local authority delivered sandbags to homes in Portessie, Portgordon and Kingston, and drivers were urged to take care on any roads with surface water.
As well as filling and delivering sandbags, council workers were kept busy clearing fallen trees, branches and other debris from roads throughout Moray.
Meanwhile, snow and ice caused treacherous conditions in Speyside. A man in his 40s was taken to Dr Gray’s hospital at Elgin after a two-car crash on the B9102 Grantown-Craigellachie route near the Macallan distillery.
Households in rural areas such as Dunphail suffered power cuts throughout the day.
Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution pledged to reconnect most affected homes across Scotland by late last night.
Several trees came down over telephone lines beside the A940 Forres-Grantown road at the Dava.
And three Moray primaries closed yesterday because of weather-related problems.
Parts of Elgin community centre’s roof blew off – leading to an emergency road closure.
Trinity Road will be shut between Borough Briggs Road and Trinity Place until Monday to allow repairs to be made.
A number of Moray coastal roads will remain closed this morning.
Two seafront roads in Portgordon – Stewart Street and Lennox Place – were closed from late morning as the coastline was pounded by heavy seas. Great Eastern Road in Portessie was also closed after a huge tidal surge left parts of the road under feet of water.
A further high tide was due around 2am this morning and the situation was being monitored by the council’s emergency response team.
With temperatures plummeting yesterday afternoon to below zero and with snow showers – possibly heavy in some parts – forecast for overnight, the council’s winter maintenance crews were out throughout the afternoon and last night, and will be out on the roads again this morning.