The first resilience centre set up in Angus has stood up well to the test of Storm Arwen.
And community figures behind the Eassie facility say the short, sharp shock of the ferocious weekend has been a valuable dress rehearsal for the future.
The resilience centre is based at Eassie and Nevay hall, between Glamis and Newtyle.
Opened on Sunday
People have been able to go there since Sunday for warmth, hot food and drink or a warm shower.
It has helped people in affected areas including Charleston, Westmuir and Newtyle.
Electricity supplies have now been returned to many homes in the area which lost power.
The centre also managed to get a generator out to an elderly lady who suffered a fall at her rural home and is now being looked after in Ninewells Hospital.
It was officially launched in 2017.
The hall is a busy facility, hosting a range of community groups every week.
But this is the first time the resilience centre has been called into action.
Former Angus police officer Neil McLeod led its setting up after the havoc wreaked by Strom Frank in 2015.
“This is the first time it’s actually been open as a resilience centre,” he said.
“We’ve got a good set-up here.
“And I think this incident at the weekend has brought it home to people how they need to be prepared for this sort of thing.
“They need to be able to stand on their own two feet to allow help to arrive or centre’s like this to open.
Neil said: “This has given us an opportunity to react as a resilience centre.”
Communication is key
“And in that regard we have learned a lot ourselves around things such as lines of communication,” he added.
“We did what we wanted to, which is to get it open as a resilience centre.
“The big thing now is to communicate to people that we are here in situations like this.
“And it’s seemed easy to get it out to the outside world through the like of social media and the council website.
“But it is sometimes more difficult to get it out to the own little bubble of the local community so that is one of the lessons we have learned.
“Fortunately this was not a long-lasting event or a major incident such as an explosion.
“It’s a weather-related event which caused problems, but roads and communications are still open.
“So in that respect it has been a perfect introduction to what we need to do as a centre.
“We’re as small group, but this past weekend has given us pretty good knowledge for the future.”
Extensive kit
It is kitted out with essential equipment to help people during major incidents or prolonged weather events like severe flooding or heavy snow.
It features emergency equipment, portable water pumps, back-to-back radios, comprehensive first aid kits and foil blankets
The hall also has a defibrillator, with many locals trained in its use.
It can also serve as a base for the emergency services or utilities companies for their operations on the ground.