Thursday 31 December 2015

Storm Frank 30th Dec 2015 and the Big Flood

The Dunkirk Spirit was alive and well in Kirkton last night when the village and surrounding fields, rivers and burns were overwhelmed with flood water.

Please send in your photos of this historical event to kirkmahoe@gmail.com



These photos were taken at the start of the flood. Waters came right up the road, and fields around Kirkton were like an ocean.

Barrasgate succumbed early as the Barrasburn burst its banks, with all the little pensioner cottages on the side away from Dumfries, being flooded and elderly residents had to be evacuated. Billy McRobert and Gary Smith  along with some other young men helped carry out some of these folks before the fire brigade arrived with a sled boat. It will be many months before these people will be able to return to their homes, which will have to be gutted and redecorated. 

At one stage when the flood was at its zenith, the fire brigade was completely marooned in Kirkton, however the ladies enjoyed the terrible chore of taking out cuppas to the firemen LOL.

People were evacuated to the Village Hall where mountains of wonderful food miraculously appeared thanks to young Callum Tweedie whose birthday party food was evacuated to the Hall and to John Young who had made some lovely hot chicken noodle soup to help heat up the wet souls who had waded through the flood waters.There was quite a party atmosphere in the Hall which helped to alleviate the shock of the situation.

Trevor and Hugh were patrolling the village for hours making sure everyone and their properties were safe.  

Terri provided dry clothes and shoes for wet folks and as news got round of the emergency, those who lived neaby came into the Hall with offers of beds for the night for the refugees who had been evacuated. Medicines had to be taken from pensioners homes which were flooded, something which one does not consider when looking at a flood.

People were making calls to Social Services for help with some disabled pensioners and arrange appropriate transport for them to be taken to relatives.

Everyone made the best of the situation, with phone lines buzzing with concerned neighbours offering help to each other. Farmers coming out with tractors and farm vehicles to see how they could move folks through the waters.

Kirkmahoe Residents, Give yourself a big pat on the back for all your efforts to overcome Storm Frank's deluge, when the going gets tough, the tough get going - along with the Community Spirit.

Do not travel tonight for Hogmanay Celebrations unless you absolutely have to, as the rain is on again and with saturated ground we could have another flood at high tide again today. Be safe, stay at home.

And Lastly please send us your photos of this event to 
kirkmahoe@gmail.com



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