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Stay at home if you can, says OIC

Stay at home if you can, says OIC

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The flooding this morning at Quanterness on the A965 (credit: Graham Macdonald).

The Incident Management Team at Orkney Islands Council has met to review the ongoing flooding, and it is hoped that water levels will reduce after early this afternoon. Nevertheless, people are urged to stay home if they can.

Along with emergency services, council teams are dealing with particularly badly affected areas, including St Margarets Hope, Quanterness, and Sunnybank, as well as areas in Finstown, Evie, Holm, Orphir, Kirkwall and more. OIC are also advising that sandbags can be collected at the Hatston depot and the ‘Hope civic amenity centre.

Council workers are being deployed from areas to assist the roads staff in keeping gullies clear to try and keep the water levels down.
Sandbags are available at the Hatston depot and the ‘Hope civic amenity site. OIC has asked that neighbours, friends and family help others who may not be able to access these themselves but are in need.
The local authority has also said that there has been a landslide on the road heading to the ferry in the ‘Hope – so it’s down to one lane there.
Given some road closures, school transport may be impacted. Schools will keep in touch with parents directly.
OIC has received reports of vehicles becoming stuck in flooded areas. It may be ok when you set off from home, but it could easily be a different situation in another area, the council says.
Drivers are also reporting having some very scary aqua-planing experiences after hitting large puddles on the roads. Folk are urged to stay safe at home if they can.

The Met Office information is that the rain fall will ease and stop early afternoon – the council says it is hopeful that the water levels will dissipate thereafter, helped by the hard work of everyone out there at the moment who are working on the flooded areas.