A POLICE station was among several buildings evacuated in parts of Scotland as torrential rain caused serious flooding today.
Homes, businesses and shops in Kilbirnie, Ayrshire, were affected after the River Garnock burst its banks.
Strathclyde Fire and Rescue said they were bombarded with calls from 8am onwards reporting problems caused by heavy rain in the Kilbirnie an
d Glengarnock areas.
More than 30 firefighters were involved in rescue operations.
Residents of a housing complex for people with special needs were among those evacuated after the alarm was raised at around 7.50am
Fire crews were called to Mill Court in Kilbirnie after water levels rose to 1.5m and water entered several houses in the complex, where many residents are reliant on wheelchairs and some are severely disabled.
One resident was carried out of their home to safety while eight other residents were moved to the upper floor of their building.
They were then moved to temporary accommodation arranged by North Ayrshire Council.
Fire crews from Dalry, Johnstone, Dreghorn, Ardrossan and Largs were involved in the operation.
A rescue boat was on standby but was not needed.
Ambulance crews also attended the scene and checked the residents, but
said there were no cases which gave cause for concern.
Group Commander Steve Fitch, from Strathclyde Fire and Rescue, said: "This was a serious incident because of the number of people involved and the fact that there were various people in various houses.
"On arrival, the officer in charge of the incident assessed the situation; the River Garnock had burst its banks, the water level had risen to over 1.5m in depth and was entering several houses in the complex.
"His prime consideration was the safety of the residents and he quickly called on additional resources due to the demanding nature of the incident."
He said that the flood water was receding.
Fire crews dealt with 12 other flooding related calls in the area between 7am and 10am this morning.
Police said a number of roads in the Strathclyde Police area were also closed because of flooding.
They reported dozens of calls from people affected by the high waters.
One resident said their house was being flooded by cars driving through 3ft of water outside.
Strathclyde Police said that officers from the flooded Kilbirnie police station could use other offices in the division if need be, but that they were currently out in the town responding to calls.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) issued a flood watch for West Central Scotland but said that the rain is predicted to ease off during the afternoon.
Central Scotland Fire and Rescue said they have also dealt with a few reports of flooding in Callander, Stirling, Larbert and Cambusbarron.
Problems were caused by drains which could not cope with the volume of water.
The full article contains 476 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
