Flooding affects everyone, whether directly with water flowing into homes, or indirectly through blocked roads, higher insurance premiums and spiralling food prices.

The last few months has seen flooding become a constant threat and residents and business leaders have become committed weather watchers out of necessity rather than just to have a talking point.

So the announcement that the Government is ploughing more than £8m into flood defences at 11 different county sites has to be welcome.

But, excuse the pun, this is just a drop in the ocean. Whitehall needs to accept the fact that flooding will ultimately cost it many times more than it is investing unless these schemes are developed continually rather than in fits and starts.

While the worst areas are now being tackled, every flood brings new victims in different places, none of whom will want to see it happen again.

Prevention is always better than cure. Wouldn’t it be reassuring if one day we could put up with a few days rain without worrying whether we will be waking up knee deep in water?