A man has described the moment he found half of his Paisley coffee shop lying on the road as Storm Eowyn hit on Friday.
Business partners Dan Smith and Jack Reid watched in horror as the entire frontage of their High Street coffee shop collapsed under the pressure of strong 90mph winds.
The owners of Roasters, the pair are among dozens of business people, homeowners, childcare providers and schools embarking on a mass clean-up operation.
Speaking to the Paisley Daily Express yesterday as builders frantically worked to rebuild the front wall of the shop, Jack said: “Dan walked to the shop on Friday, he’d left his laptop there and wanted to make sure everything was secure.
“As he approached, he just saw the front of it ripped off. The wind seems to have come round the corner and caught the shutters which then pulled the whole frontage off. He called me and I raced over and, at one point, we were literally holding the shop up.
“A few people jumped down to help us and we did what we could, trying to salvage things, but yes, the front is completely down and the shop will need a full refurbishment.
“There’s loads of damage inside, we are trying to work out what needs done and what’s affected like the coffee machine etc. But the whole cafe needs a refresh as it’s covered in debris.”
Explaining the repairs will cost a significant amount, Jack said they were hoping their insurance would go some way to recouping the costs. However, choosing to remain hopeful, the pair say they are relieved no one was badly hurt.
Jack added: “There are so many other people are affected as well, a lot of people have been impacted at home, or at work, we just need to thankful no one was injured. We’re working flat out and hope to be open again soon.”
The Roasters lads were not the only pair to escape injury after a tree crashed into a block of flats in Paisley.
Residents of the three-storey building on Broomlands Lane were forced to flee when the tree smashed through the roof during the high winds on Friday afternoon.
The surrounding area, situated off Ferguslie Walk, remains cordoned off by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, who says no one was badly injured.
A spokesperson for Renfrewshire Council said: “Our neighbourhood services team has been working with the building’s owners to arrange the removal of the tree.
“Scottish Fire and Rescue evacuated the property and the building’s owners arranged temporary accommodation for residents.
“The removal will require a crane and heavy lifting equipment. Following a site visit today, a course of action has been agreed and a principal contractor appointed to remove the tree from the building in the coming days.”
Renfrewshire Council has also been left counting the cost of damage to its estate as workmen continue repairs to schools and council-owned houses.
Education chiefs contacted parents over the weekend to confirm Renfrew High School would be closed for at least two days as urgent works got underway at the Haining Road campus.
The school was badly flooded after the storm caused damage to the interior which the council admitted could take longer to repair.
In a letter to parents, the head teacher Andrew Sutherland said staff would support children via online learning throughout the closure.
In Paisley, Brediland Primary School was able to open yesterday – despite part of the roof being ripped from the building on Friday.
Renfrewshire Council leader Iain Nicolson yesterday said: “I would like to thank our residents for following the advice to stay home and keep safe during the red weather warning for Storm Eowyn.
“This is the first time Renfrewshire has received a red weather warning since 2019 and work is currently underway to assess any damage and carry out the repairs and clean-up needed to keep Renfrewshire moving and services running.
“I would also like to thank our teams who have worked tirelessly following the storm to carry out repairs and recovery work so our services were able to re-open as normal today.”
Meanwhile, the owners of Little Learners nursery in Paisley’s Abercorn Street are continuing to clear the site after the property was ravaged by winds.
Video footage of the storm showed parts of the roof hanging off while large swathes of material were found strewn across the road in front of the premises.
A fence and outdoor play area also looked to have been wiped out by the wind. The clean up of fallen trees will continue for some weeks.
However, kind volunteers and people with the right equipment have been clearing paths and roads were safe in their own communities.
Robertson Park in Renfrew, however, remains closed to the public while crews work to clear fallen trees and debris. People can report a fallen tree, blocked road or damage to a council property or building by calling 0300 300 0300.
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