Mearns residents lost personal belongings and Christmas presents after a freak flood swamped their rooms as they slept.
Frightened pensioners were among 25 people evacuated from their homes in Stonehaven at the weekend as heavy rain and high tides caused chaos.
Residents in Turner’s Court and Hanover Court sheltered housing units were forced from their beds at 3.30am on Saturday as flood water cascaded through both buildings.
The Rev Rosslyn Duncan of Stonehaven Dunnottar Church, opened St Bridget’s Hall to give the evacuees a place to spend the night.
“It was really quite distressing for a lot of them,” she said. Some of them woke up to quite deep water in their rooms, and obviously that would have come as a shock.”
Volunteers and members of the WRVS manned the rescue centre throughout the night.
The Rev Duncan praised the actions of the emergency services and Aberdeenshire Council, who she said were quick to react.
The council’s area manager for Kincardine and Mearns, Willie Munro, said: “Trained council staff and emergency services personnel are on hand at St Bridget’s Hall to provide support for the people who have been evacuated.
“High tide in Stonehaven has passed and, while we continue to monitor the levels of the River Carron closely, there are currently no concerns that the river will flood.”
The emergency response was managed by the Grampian strategic coordinating group, made up of a number of organisations including Aberdeenshire Council, Grampian Police, Grampian Fire and Rescue Service, Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) and the Scottish Ambulance Service.
A spokesman for Grampian Police said David Street in Stonehaven was closed between Rodney Street and Barclay Street, with the town’s Shorehead and Harbour areas also shut.
More than 120 areas across the UK were on flood alert over the weekend as heavy rain continued to lash the country.
Sepa are keeping the situation under constant review.
Authorities took action because of unusually high waters, which also affected other parts of Scotland.
Minister for environment and climate change, Paul Wheelhouse, said: “Local emergency services moved quickly to deal with the aftermath of the flooding, which was caused by unusually high tides and high winds, in Stonehaven and Peterhead.”
A spokeswoman for Aberdeenshie Council said: “A flooding advice centre will be set up at the council’s housing office on Allardice Street in Stonehaven on Monday, from 11am until 4.30pm.
“People affected by flooding will be able to receive advice on the services and support available to them.”
For information go to
aberdeenshire.gov.uk/flooding
.
Fife emerged relatively unscathed after stormy weather battered the east coast.
Kirkcaldy Esplanade was closed as a precaution at high tide, when huge waves crashed over the sea wall.
Fife Council said it would be assessing the promenade for damage.
Meanwhile, East Basin car park in Anstruther was closed after floodwater scattered rubble and debris across the tarmac.
There were no reports of damage to any properties in the region.