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Hundreds evacuated after torrential rain hits Moray Words by Donna Macallister and photograph by Gordon Lennox

A Moray couple watched in despair as their home, business and cars were wrecked by torrential rainfall which forced hundreds of people across the area to evacuate their homes.

Ian Gordon and wife Elizabeth, whose house is next to the Fochabers Burn, were rescued by boat with their dog Bouncer after floods knocked down a bridge, tore up trees and caused a landslide which created a 10ft crater.

Moray bore the brunt of the downpours which closed roads and schools across the north-east, with Lossiemouth recording a month’s rainfall in a single day. But council officials said recently-completed flood defences in Forres and Lhanbryde had coped well with the deluge.

In Aberdeenshire, three council workmen rescued a driver from his Land Rover as it sank after crashing into a swollen burn.

A woman was critically ill in hospital in Aberdeen after a lamp standard smashed through her car when it crashed on the outskirts of the city. And on Tayside a mother and her three children had to be rescued from their stranded car.

Police issued a warning to onlookers to stay away from flood-hit areas in Moray, as officers sent to help victims found themselves doing crowd control instead.

Chief Inspector Hugh Mackie said: “People who have turned up to watch may inadvertently put themselves in danger and divert more resources from our main role of protecting those directly affected by these events.” About 400 homes in the Elgin area and 50 in Fochabers were evacuated due to flooding around the rivers Lossie and Spey.

Mr and Mrs Gordon, of Burnbank, Fochabers, saw their Vauxhall Combo van slide away in the silt and crash into the burn, followed by their Land Rover. Mr Gordon’s workshop at Mosstodloch Industrial Estate, where he runs his bridge maintenance business Moray Blast, was also under 12ft of water.

“I’m feeling very despondent, very disappointed,” he said. “I’m going to take some medicinal help tonight, probably in the form of Johnnie Walker.”

At the Gordon Arms Hotel in Fochabers, manager Samantha Turner was taking in flood victims.

She said: “This morning I said to them ‘sit down and have breakfast, Moray Council can pay for it’.

“They had all been out of their homes all night.”

The flooding caused havoc in other parts of Moray.

A road bridge across the River Spey in the Spey Street area of Garmouth was swept away by the force of the water and the river burst its banks at Kingston, near Elgin.

Elgin High School pupils were sent home to allow people forced out of their homes to take shelter.

Many of them took up the offer of blankets and food, while support was provided by members of the Red Cross and the council.

Mum Angela Taylor and her nine-month-old baby, Ryan Paul, were at the centre with Angela’s mother, Isabelle Anderson.

The 45-year-old wept when a friend telephoned to tell her that water levels in her home at Chanonry Road in Elgin had risen to three feet.

“I only moved in eight weeks ago and I’m not insured,” she said. “My washing machine, cooker, fridge, sofa, bed, vacuum, TV – everything was new. All I want to do is go home, and I don’t even know where I’m going to stay tonight.”

In Rothes, the Land Street and Back Burn areas were flooded, affecting 25 homes.

Moray Council said the recently-completed flood alleviation scheme at Forres had “clearly been shown” to reduce the risk of flooding on the Mosset Burn. A spokesman said the Lhanbryde flood alleviation scheme had also coped with the heavy rain and no flooding had been reported.

Moray MSP Richard Lochhead visited affected areas in Aberlour, Rothes and Elgin yesterday.

He said: “I've been to the homes of families in Rothes whose houses have been completely devastated.”

Moray MP Angus Robertson said many people, including Moray Council staff, the emergency services and volunteers deserved “the highest praise” for their efforts.

“Water levels are higher than I have ever seen them and communities have rallied to support people whose homes and businesses have been flooded,” he said.

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