AN APPEAL has been launched to help a Scottish family who have lost everything in the wake of Hurricane Harvey in Texas.
Tania Wishart and her daughter Stephanie have been living in the US state for six years after relocating from Arbroath.
Tania's son, Stephen Wishart said they had lost "their home, car and all their personal belongings" after the city of Dickinson, where they live, was hit by the storm and submerged underwater.
He and his fiancé Chloe McGreevy, who both now live in Belfast, have set up a fundraising site to help his mother and sister.
The 31-year-old said: "My mum woke up in the middle of the night with water in her bedroom and her ground floor apartment flooding.
"As she opened the door many of her belongings were drifting out onto the street with the water and she saw that her car was completely submerged.
"She and a neighbour made it into a first floor apartment block while the water rose but had to wait for hours before a rescue boat could reach them.
"My Mum had nothing more than the clothes on her back, her phone and $20 in her pocket."
"There was a lot of debris floating in the water and boats hitting cars and mum really feared for her life as she cannot swim.
"Eventually, she was taken to a rescue centre in Austin. However, she is now five hours away from my sister who was staying with friends that night."
He said he didn't think insurance would cover their costs and may be forced to come back to live in the UK.
In a recent update, he said: "Things are starting to look better but mum and sister still separated.
"We don't know how long my mum will be at Austin shelter hopefully not to [sic] long so she can reunite with my sister."
To make a donation, visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/stephen-wishart.
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