Families in Angus who were evacuated due to heavy flooding during Storm Babet may still be out of their homes by Christmas.
Councillor Gavin Nicol says residents will be in temporary accommodation for an “extensive period” as a result of damage caused by the extreme rainfall.
It comes as a fundraiser to help Brechin locals whose homes were ruined by the flooding has reached £20,000.
The Angus town has been the worst affected area in the region with more than 300 households abandoned while the storm was raging.
Towns across Aberdeenshire and Moray were also hit by devastating floods.
Lerwick lifeboat crews had to rescue a stranded fishing vessel in an 18-hour shout.
Seven static caravans were lost at a family-run site in Laurencekirk during the severe weather.
And a North Sea oil rig lost half of its anchors due to turbulent waves.
Angus Council chiefs have vowed they will do everything they can to rehome locals who were evacuated.
The process of assessing the scale of damage left to properties in the wake of the storm has also now begun.
Speking on the BBC Sunday Show, Mr Nicol warned that a long few months in limbo lies ahead for families whose homes have been engulfed by water.
Asked how long a wait they face before being able to return, he said: “It’ll be an extensive period.
“It’ll take a fair bit of sorting. These houses won’t be ready by Christmas.”
It’s already been warned the storm may prove to be one of the costliest weather events in Scotland’s history.
Experts estimate the bill may reach an eye-watering £500 million.
Demands for funding
Mr Nicol, who represents the Tories in Brechin, says the local authority will need more financial support in the wake of the storm.
He said: “I’m hoping the first minister will take pity on us and give us some more money.”
The storm has also sparked questions around the suitability of flood defences put in places to protect towns like Brechin.
The current scheme in the Angus town was one of the biggest civil engineering jobs ever undertaken in Angus, but the walls were still breached.
Mr Nicol added: “The weather conditions are changing, probably the goalposts have shifted now. We’re going to have to look at new measures.”