Angus Council officers met this morning to discuss the possible impacts of Storm Isha across the county. There is currently an amber warning for wind and a yellow warning for rain in place overnight, followed by a yellow warning for wind which lasts until Wednesday.
Amber warnings are not to be taken likely with the following risks highlighted.
- Flying debris could result in a danger to life
- Damage to buildings and homes is possible, with roofs blown off and power lines brought down
- Roads, bridges and railway lines may close, with delays and cancellations to bus, train, ferry services and flights
- Power cuts could occur and affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage
- There is potential for large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties
Therefore, the following decisions and actions have been taken and we residents should be aware of the following information. Please share with family friends and neighbours who may not be online or remain unaware:
Schools and Schools Transport
Schools will remain open and will only be closed on an individual basis if they sustain damage during the night. All schools will be assessed in the morning and parents and carers will be alerted to any closures in the usual ways: by Group call to mobile phones or on our website. It is hoped that this will be undertaken by 7:30am.
School transport is more likely to be affected depending on damage or blocking of roads due to fallen trees etc. Parents and carers who rely on school transport should be aware that routes may be changed or cancelled. Issues will be flagged as early as possible using the Group Call system to mobile phones and on our website.
Bin Collections and Recycling Centres
On Monday 22 January, all scheduled bin collections are cancelled, and recycling centres will be closed. PLEASE DO NOT PUT OUT ANY BIN FOR MONDAY COLLECTION. This is for the safety of our staff and to reduce the risk from bins being blown around, causing damage and injury. Bins will be collected on the next scheduled cycle. We will accept an appropriate amount of additional waste contained in bags put out on your next purple bin collection day. Please advise and support friends and neighbours who may not use social media.
Roads and Public Transport
Given the forecast speed and directions of the winds, significant disruption is expected across the Angus roads network. The strong advice is NOT TO TRAVEL unless absolutely necessary and then extreme caution should be taken. Very little action can be taken overnight during the storm so roads blocked by fallen trees for example, may not be marked as closed.
Updates on public transport can be found on individual operators’ websites and social media, and also the Angus Council website.
Flooding Risk
We understand that many of our communities will be extremely anxious regarding the risk from flooding. Storm Isha will bring very strong winds and heavy rain, on top of saturated ground, coupled with snow melt.
At the minute there are no flood alerts for either the North or South Esk and river levels are within a normal range. However, there is a high risk of surface water, making driving conditions difficult and possible localised flash flooding.
Housing
If you live in a council property which becomes damaged but not unsafe, please do what you can to alleviate the issue (such as a bucket to catch drips) and report via our ACCESSline 03452 777 778 in the morning. Staff will not be able to access contractors overnight so please log in the morning.
If any resident’s property becomes uninhabitable overnight, please try to find alternative accommodation with family friends and neighbours. If you can’t find suitable safe accommodation, call ACCESSline 03452 777 778, wait until the end of the recorded out of hours message when you will be put through to the duty officer who will organise temporary accommodation.
Fallen Trees/Coastal Areas
If you have to travel, please be alert to the danger of falling/fallen trees on roads and paths. Landowners will not be able to remove trees overnight nor will we be able to flag all roads affected.
Residents should avoid wooded areas, especially Kirriemuir Den which already has path closures in place due to dangerously damaged trees. Similarly, we ask that residents stay away from coasts as winds can be even higher here and some are still fragile from previous storms.
Other
Depending on the impacts of the storm on our infrastructure, other services may be affected. Further updates will be posted throughout Monday on our social media and websites, as well as shared with local media, community councils and community resilience groups.
Reporting
- If there is a danger to life, call 999
- Road and Housing issues, call ACCESSline 03452 777 778 during working hours
- Power Outages: Call SSEN on 105. You can track power outages on Power Track
Preparedness
The best way to deal with any emergency is to be prepared:
- Ensure external items such as garden furniture and trampolines are secured
- Make sure laptops and mobile phones are fully charged
- If you have to travel, have supplies of food, drink and warm clothing with you
- Have torches to hand in case of power outages.
- For further advice, please visit Ready Scotland