The Scottish Government has been accused of abandoning rural communities, as Scotland recovers from yet another storm.
Last week saw transport cancellations, school closures and widespread damage as Storm Eunice wreaked havoc across the country.
Communities were faced with Storm Franklin just three days later, the seventh named storm in three months.
Strong winds and heavy rain hit the west coast, with temperatures dipping causing snow.
Now minister are being told to step up and support communities in the aftermath of the storms.
North-east gets ‘short-changed’
Alexander Burnett, Conservative MSP for Aberdeenshire West, has written to the Scottish Government asking what it is doing to improve its response.
He said: “Aberdeenshire has been one of the hardest hit by the recent storms and the council as well as volunteers have been left to pick up the pieces from the devastation.
“With some communities still waiting on resilience plan actions from Storm Frank seven years ago, there’s a feeling rural communities are just being forgotten about by the SNP government when events like these unfold.
“The cost of the destruction caused by these horrendous weather incidents could be felt for years to come which is why funding must get out as quickly as possible to the communities most affected.”
The Met Office has named #StormFranklin
The storm is forecast to bring strong winds and heavy rain to the UK on Sunday and Monday
The strongest winds will be in Northern Ireland where an Amber weather warning has been issued
Stay #WeatherAware ⚠️ pic.twitter.com/gOektUciFQ
— Met Office (@metoffice) February 20, 2022
Mr Burnett says the north-east is “constantly short-changed” by the government when it comes to supporting communities affected by bad weather.
Mr Burnett added: “I have asked ministers what funding is being released and what actions they are taking to ensure residents aren’t left behind when another storm occurs.”
Funding cuts take their toll
Meanwhile Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland and the Scottish Lib Dems’ rural affairs spokeswoman, believes the government is failing to adapt to changing weather patterns.
She said: “These storms are a scary experience for many Scots.
“Rail, ferries and rural communities are facing enormous disruption once again.
“The government has failed to adapt our infrastructure to meet these challenges.
“Thousands of homes regularly lose power, flood defence projects are years behind and Scotland’s Victorian sewers are facing extreme weather that they were never designed to cope with.”
Ms Wishart continued: “The destruction and disruption that we are now seeing is not just an act of nature but also a consequence of cuts to local authority budget taking their toll.
“As communities recover from the storms, they will need Scottish Government support in rebuilding and strengthening their defences in time for the next extreme weather event.”
Government promises action
As the country prepared itself for Storm Franklin, the government said people need to be careful when driving and pay attention to public transport advice.
A spokesman said: “Severe weather is expected to continue across large parts of the country.
“The Scottish Government would strongly urge everyone to continue to pay close attention to the latest travel advice and to exercise caution on the roads.
“The Scottish Government’s resilience committee will continue to monitor the situation.
“We remain in close contact with local authorities and emergency and essential services to ensure people in the affected areas receive the latest information, advice and support where needed.”
Storm Eunice in pictures: Most dramatic images as snow batters Aberdeenshire, Moray and Highlands