Homes evacuated, roads blocked, school bus and rail services cancelled - full impact of Storm Isha assessed
Last updated 22nd Jan 2024
A number of homes had to be evacuated in Jedburgh overnight amid concerns for rising water levels as the Jed Water burst its banks.
A refuge centre was also set up in the Town Hall as the main route through the town was submerged, along with the local filling station.
An amber wind warning is no longer in force in the Borders. But the full impact of Storm Isha is still being assessed.
A yellow weather warning for wind remains in place until midday on Monday.
Scottish Borders Council says there are no reports of any school closures. But a number of school bus services have been cancelled.
The A68 remains closed at Jedburgh after the Jed Water burst its banks - with local bus services being terminated at Ancrum.
The A1 is also closed north of Cockburnspath due to high winds, and an overturned lorry.
More than a dozen local roads are also blocked by flooding - including the B709 Ettrick Valley, B712 at Dawyck, and Wilton Park Road in Hawick.
Roads around Newcastleton and Coldingham have also been blocked due to fallen trees.
And all early-morning rail services are on hold to allow Network Rail to assess the track for any damage.
Local councillor Scott Hamilton, the local authority's deputy leader, told us: "There are still a lot of repercussions; I've had a lot of phone calls through the night about trees coming down, and this has led to road closures - and there are a number of road closures out there.
"I would urge caution to everybody and anybody that's travelling about today; we're not out the woods yet with regards to this weather and we've seen how unpredictable water and rivers can be.
"But please note that SBC and all the emergency services are working hard to ensure everybody's safety."
A number of homes have been left without electricity after trees blown over in the wind brought down power lines.
More than 2,000 homes in the Borders were left without power overnight.
A spokesperson for SP Energy Networks (SPEN) said: "There are currently 18 faults reported across the Borders.
"In Jedburgh and Galashiels there are 10 faults affecting a total of 1200 customers; Kelso – four faults affecting 776 customers; Berwickshire – two faults affecting 151 customers; and Hawick – two faults affecting nine customers, in rural locations.
"SPEN cannot confirm reconnections times, some customers may remain off until tomorrow morning (22/01), however, they are not requesting any partnership assistance."
However, the new £90million flood protection scheme in Hawick appears to have held, although footage shared online appeared to show the River Teviot breaching some of the gaps near Mansfield.
And earlier reports that someone had been blown over the "new" bridge in Kelso appear to have been a false alarm, with one local councillor confirming there was "no-one found and no-one missing".
WATCH: A video has emerged online of fast-flowing water covering the road between Roberton and Craik...
Meanwhile, the public are being reminded to secure any loose items which may be outdoors. It comes as a Galashiels resident, whose home was hit by a flying trampoline in stormy weather five years ago, today revealed it caused over £16,000 worth of damage.
Firefighters were called out to Victoria Street in January 2019 to rescue the piece of play equipment, which hit a chimney - sending rubble crashing onto the street below.
A spokesperson for Scottish Borders Council said: "Winds will gradually ease from the west during Monday morning. Some gust of 50 to 60mph are possible inland with a few locations, mainly exposed coastal areas, experiencing gusts of 70 to 80mph.
"Additional resources and contractors are in place and on standby to assist, for example clearing fallen trees, however only where this does not put staff at risk."
For more stories from the Scottish Borders and North Northumberland, bookmark our new home page - https://planetradio.co.uk/greatest-hits/borders/news/