Interesting man on BBC Breakfast… discussed how householders could have protected themselves and should adapt properties for future flooding - said he was part of the government 10 years ago when they put in a full report and blames successive Labour and Coalition for not activating the suggestions.

Don't you wonder why our species is apparently incapable of anticipating and common sense and simply focuses on unimportant crap like "who's to blame?" (Mother Nature) and headline, simplistic slogans?

Plan ahead, dummies!

Easy to say, JK ....

Would we now be even talking about this if it were not for the flooding?

If we had spent billions - and it was not needed - would people have said they wasted money?

How many householders are (partly) to blame - by buying in "flood zones" - and then concreting over their gardens and driveways (eliminating water drainage areas) ?

Of course, its really the MadFarmers that are to blame ... cutting down all those trees in upland areas (that would have soaked up or delayed the water).

As for the Somerset levels - an expert on Newsnight said that IF the area had been dredged it would have made the rivers run faster and surrounding towns (Bridgewater) would now be under water. So much better that flood planes (ie the Somerset levels !) are under water than places where people live / work.

I remind you AGAIN - that according to the EA there are only about 40 properties there that are actually flooded !) Somerset CC says its 150 (obviously after more money!)

At the end of the day - its a natural disaster ... perhaps slightly overdue? - and these things will happen periodically (no matter what you do). Apparently much water now is not running down through rivers but actually coming up from the ground because the water table is saturated and simply cannot take any more.

All of this is exactly what the man on TV was talking about - he'd just bought a new house himself in a flood area and did all the things the panel suggested; thus avoiding the flooding. His methods made the water go around his house and garden.

Hegel put it best: 'Freedom is the appreciation of necessity'. Sadly today too many think freedom is doing whatever - or not doing whatever - you want, regardless of those things are outside your control. If you want to go out in the rain and not get wet, buy an umbrella - even that's beyond the reasoning of some people these days.

Yours truly is also in the process of restoring a house mere feet from a busy waterway - tanking ground floor, electrics installed half way up wall, stone flooring, flood proof doors - and outside - rip up concrete covering garden. Actually the fact that the house was semi-derelict was part of its attraction - cheap enough to be able to do it properly from the start. By properly I mean 'assume the area will flood' and act accordingly.

SofaCleese wrote:
Actually the fact that the house was semi-derelict was part of its attraction - cheap enough to be able to do it properly from the start. By properly I mean 'assume the area will flood' and act accordingly.

As I said in my original post (on the Somerset levels) one wonders how many of these people bought because it was cheap - and simply kept their fingers crossed?

Now - of course - someone else is to blame !