The high winds and heavy rain from Storm Amy have caused damage across Dumfries and Galloway, impacting infrastructure, closing roads due to fallen trees, and causing multiple power outages.
We appreciate many communities across Dumfries and Galloway continue to be impacted by Storm Amy. We still advise everyone to take care on and in our roads, parks and open spaces.
Safety advice during storms and adverse weather can be found at https://ready.scot/.
Please note: there remain weather warnings in place for Dumfries and Galloway: UK weather warnings - Met Office, for high winds until 11.59pm (Saturday 4 October).
Support available
SP Energy Networks (SPEN) – the organisation responsible for restoring electricity to affected properties across the region – has the latest information on support and compensation here: Adverse Weather Warning - SP Energy Networks
You can report damage to phone lines to Openreach
Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Care at Home teams continue to support the most vulnerable in our communities, providing welfare calls and visits.
Should affected residents need further help and advice they should call the council’s Customer Contact Centre on 030 33 33 3000 where staff will be able to signpost you to the appropriate guidance.
Warm Hubs
From 8am to 8pm (unless otherwise stated) on Sunday 5 October, a Warm Hub will be open in each of the Ward areas across our region. These are for residents whose power is out so they can charge devices, get warm and get something to eat.
The locations for these are:
- The Royal Hotel – 24 Hanover Street, Stranraer, DG9 7RZ
- The Bladnoch Inn – Bladnoch, Newton Stewart, DG8 9AB
- Kenbridge Hotel – New Galloway, DG7 3PR
- Thistle Inn – Crossmichael, DG7 3AU
- The Anchor – Kippford, DG5 4LN
- Woodland House Hotel – Newbridge, Dumfries, DG2 0HZ. 8am to 6pm only
- The Buccleuch and Queensberry Hotel – Thornhill, DG3 5LU
- Friars Carse Hotel – Auldgirth, Dumfries, DG2 0SA
- The Holiday Inn – Bankend Road, Dumfries, DG1 4ZZ
- Powfoot Hotel – Powfoot, Annan, DG12 5PN
- Somerton House – 35 Carlisle Road, Lockerbie, DG11 2DR
- The Eskdale Hotel – 48 High Street, Langholm, DG13 0JH
Public Transport
Traveline Scotland has travel information for public transport. You can also follow our local pus providers through their social media channels.
These are the effects on council services as a result of Storm Amy:
Council buildings
Safety inspections are being carried out across council buildings and facilities, resulting in some disruption to a number of council services over the weekend.
Schools and early learning settings
It is planned that all children should return to school and early learning settings as normal on Monday 6 October unless you hear otherwise.
Should there be any changes to this, parents/carers will be notified through the emergency school closures system. You can find the notifications here: Emergency school closures | Dumfries and Galloway Council
Bin collections
Bin collections will continue on schedule. You can check your bin collection schedule here: Your bin collection days | Dumfries and Galloway Council
Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs)
All our HWRCS are open as normal.
Please book your slot.
Roads
Our roads and neighbourhood services teams have been out since first light on Saturday 4 October clearing our region’s A- and B-class roads.
The B7042 near Sandhead has a number of trees blocking the carriageway, our Roads Service staff will not be in attendance until Monday due to other road network issues.
Leisure centres and museums
All our leisure facilities and museums are open as normal.
Customer Service Centres and libraries
All our customer service centres and libraries are open as normal.
Social care
Full services are still operating. We appreciate the support from families, neighbours and communities in providing additional care and support for their loved ones and would ask, where possible, that this continues to allow services to get back up-and-running.
Care Call
Telephone 0303 333 3000 for our Care Call team, which provides support for council out-of-hours emergencies.
Food safety advice
Power cuts can increase the risk of food-borne illness. To keep safe please follow this advice.
For households:
If you have suffered a power cut due to Storm Amy and your frozen food is still frozen then it can still be used. If it has thawed, it should be disposed of.
Don’t refreeze thawed foods. If you think the food has re-frozen following an extended power cut it should be binned.
You should chuck out perishable food if the fridge has been off for more than 4 hours. Do not rely on smell or the appearance of food – if in doubt, throw it out.
Find further advice at Food safety and hygiene information | Food Standards Scotland | Food Standards Scotland and Avoid food poisoning and waste during a power cut | Food Standards Scotland.
For business:
Your food business should dispose of any foods that have been outwith a controlled temperature. Before disposing of food, make a list and take pictures if you need to make an insurance claim.
Ensure that the fridges and freezers have been cleaned and sanitised and that the temperatures are back to normal before you restock.
If your bins can’t hold the extra waste, please arrange an extra uplift with your provider to remove the waste as soon as possible.
Private water supplies:
If you have a private water supply, you should consider whether untreated water may have entered your supply network. Check your system and take appropriate steps to disinfect it. Until your system is fixed, all water used for drinking, cooking and brushing teeth must be boiled. Alternatively, you could use bottled water.
Public parks and cemeteries
There continue to be some impacts to our parks and cemeteries following Storm Amy. We are assessing the damage and our Community Assets team will clear debris and fallen trees in the coming days. In the meantime, please exercise caution when visiting our parks, cemeteries and open spaces.
Public toilets
Our public toilets are open as normal. You can find a full list of our public toilets on our website: Find a public toilet | Dumfries and Galloway Council.