Storm Gerrit: A9 reopens but disruption continues after storm – BBC News

The A9 was shut for hours on Wednesday due to heavy snow which left drivers trapped in their vehicles near the Pass of Drumtocher in the Highlands.

Miles of vehicles stuck on the route were freed after an operation involving six snow ploughs and three tractors.

Police Scotland said that the road was now “passable with care”. The force urged drivers to exercise caution.

It came after Highland Council declared a major incident on the route.

Richard Nasmyth was travelling home to Bristol with his wife and daughter when the weather worsened, leaving them trapped on the A9 for more than six hours.

He said: “When we set off from Loch Laggan, it was just raining and the snow was actually melting away, it was looking all right.

“The skies opened and within minutes it was a complete whiteout, the traffic had come to an absolute halt and we were going nowhere.”

Claire Shaw and her children were heading back to Edinburgh from Nairn but had to find a hotel due to the conditions.

She said: “You could see the lorries in front of us physically shaking. The winds were really bad, the rain was horrendous.”

A safety assessment is due to be carried out on Thursday morning at the site.

In Dumfries, the River Nith burst its banks on Wednesday night. This resulted in the closure of the Whitesands to traffic.

Residents of the Fife town of Cupar had to be rescued from their homes by emergency services after severe flooding.

Specialist boats were brought in from Perth and Stirling to help with rescue efforts in the Burnside area.

Matthew Hooper told BBC Scotland that he had woken up to discover “two to three feet” of water in his bedroom.

He fears some of his possessions will have been destroyed.

“It was shocking, because when I went to bed last night there was no sign of any rain,” he said.

British Transport Police said its officers and the fire brigade were called out after reports that a train had struck a tree near Broughty Ferry station.

Pictures showed extensive damage to the driver’s cab.

The passengers on board were evacuated safely and there were no reports of any injuries.

Elsewhere on the railways, ScotRail said disruption would continue into Thursday.

The checks would not begin until daylight.

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks said the weather conditions had been more severe than originally forecast, leading to damage from fallen trees, branches and other debris.

At around 22:00 on Wednesday, about 16,000 properties were still without power in the north of Scotland.

Some could be without power until Friday. Welfare vans are being deployed to the areas affected.

CalMac said some services on Thursday were at risk of disruption or cancellation at short notice due to adverse weather.

First Minister Humza Yousaf said the Scottish government’s resilience operation had been activated on Wednesday evening.

He added: “We’re working with partners to mitigate the impacts of Storm Gerrit.

“We’re liaising with emergency services, transport providers, utility providers, local government and others to provide assistance and monitor the situation.”