Carol McLaren, chief executive of RSABI, said the charity had received reports from farmers regarding damage to property, vehicles and fencing in one of the ‘greatest sustained periods of heavy rain’ the country had seen in decades (RSABI)
Scottish farmers and crofting families have been warned an 'unprecedented level of rain' could cause further severe flooding and significant disruption in the coming days from Storm Babet.
After heavy rainfall had damaged crops and fields North of the border earlier this month - with images of bales being washed down the River Array in Inveraray shared on social media - the Met Office has issued a 'danger to life' warning in parts of Angus, Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.
The national weather service issued the warning on Thursday (October 19) warning residents about severe flooding which could affect homes, businesses, roads and transport.
In addition to the red warning, the Met Office has also issued wider AMBER warnings for HEAVY RAIN and STRONG WINDS across northern and eastern Scotland on Thursday and Friday.
— BBC Weather (@bbcweather) October 18, 2023
Full details: https://t.co/WR0QwwhVDY pic.twitter.com/LzYZEHkXOe
Amber and yellow warnings had also been issued by the Met Office across Scotland and were expected to be in place until Saturday (October 21).
See also: VIDEO: Scottish farmers count cost of severe flooding
RSABI confirmed it had started working with Forage Aid - part of Addington Fund providing feed, bedding and disaster relief in extreme weather events - to look at the potential of supplying replacement supplies to farmers affected by flooding.
RSABI - the charity which provides practical, emotional and financial support to people in Scottish agriculture - has confirmed farmers affected by flooding earlier this month can apply for support via a Flooding Crisis Fund worth up to £1,000 per farming family business.
See also: NFUS asks for support as farmers face further storm misery
Carol McLaren, chief executive of RSABI, said the charity had received reports from farmers regarding damage to property, vehicles and fencing in one of the ‘greatest sustained periods of heavy rain' the country had seen in decades.
Ms McLaren said RSABI had also been touched by the offers of donations and supplies of silage and straw from farmers in other parts of the country keen to support those who had sustained losses.
"We have been moved by the support being offered by people in the agricultural community keen to help fellow farmers at this very difficult time for those worst hit," she added.
"This tide of emotional support is very valuable in itself and we hope will help to lift the spirits of those who have suffered loss in the past week.
"We would encourage anyone who has lost vital supplies needed to feed and bed livestock through the coming winter to please get in touch by emailing [email protected] to allow us to assess the level of demand for a Forage Aid response."
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) said it will provide updates on flooding which you can find here.
The Scottish Government said people can stay safe by avoiding travel, checking weather reports, checking SEPA's website for updates and by visiting Ready Scotland which offers advice on emergencies.
You can apply for RSABI's Flooding Crisis Fund here.
