A woman has told how she stood on her kitchen worktop, telling her daughter she thought she was going to die, as a “tsunami” of flood water hit a Brechin caravan park.
Brenda and Alex Larmour, who live in a chalet at Eastmill Road Caravan Park, were among those left stranded when the River South Esk burst its banks on Thursday night.
Brenda says a “tsunami” of water flooded the park in a matter of minutes as Storm Babet took hold.
‘We were standing on the worktops with the water as high as our knees’
Brenda said: “We were standing on the kitchen worktops with the flood water as high as our knees and I really believed we were going to die.
“I was on the phone to my daughter, Adelle Morris, and I was hysterical. I didn’t think I was ever going to see her again.
“I was terrified – we were trapped inside our home and with the flood water rising quickly. I didn’t think we were going to get out.”
The couple were among about 30 people eventually rescued by coastguard boats – more than two hours after the water hit their home.
Their two cats were also saved.
After returning to their home on Sunday, Brenda says they have been left with nothing.
She said: “Everything is gone. Everything is soaked and covered in thick mud – and like everyone else here we have no insurance because of where we stay.”
Brechin caravan park resident branded ‘hero’ who ‘deserves medal’
Another site resident, John Tasker, 28, is being hailed as a hero for staying to help everyone on the site escape.
John said: “It all happened so quickly. The water came pouring onto the site and I knew we had to get everyone out.
“I started trying to marshal the evacuation. We moved people’s cars initially to try to save them and then, as the water levels kept rising, myself and site manager Scott Murray just began trying to help.
“We managed to get everyone onto the boats when the coastguard came and everyone was safe.”
Another resident said: “John was the last to leave – he’s a hero and deserves a medal.
“He stood waist-high in the freezing water for about five hours making sure we were all taken to safety.”
Site manager Scott described the moment the water hit the site at around 4am on Friday.
‘The site is completely destroyed’
He said: “It came over the wall and into the caravan park so quickly.
“There were around 30 people living on the site that night and every single one had to be rescued.
“The site is completely destroyed, every single caravan and chalet has been affected – including my own home.
“Most people here have nowhere else to live. We really don’t know what’s going to happen.”
Site owner, Alan Murray, 87, said: “I have run this site for more than 50 years and I have never seen anything like this before.
“It was like a dam bursting and there was just so much water. It was about 4ft to 5ft high throughout the site.
“The mess left behind is dreadful, it’s absolute devastation.
“We really don’t know where to begin clearing it all up.”
It has emerged some residents in flood-hit properties elsewhere in Brechin may never be able to return to their homes.
Elsewhere, a Brechin pub boss has vowed to reopen on Friday despite extensive flooding damage.