Twenty four hours on and there seems to be a split appearing in the media coverage.  Some papers are no longer leading on the ‘disaster’ but rather are starting to get some perspective on the whole thing.  They have started realise that when you have an unpresdented amount of rain fall then you are going to get floods of exceptional levels – only these aren’t that damaging.  It would seem that floods that we suffered in 2007 were far more damaging to both people and their communities.   The only difference is that these people were in the north and Gloucestershire.  I am really trying  to believe that if this were the case today the Prime Minister would clear his schedule and ‘get a grip’ of the situation but I’m finding it harder and harder to believe this – most of the people effected by the floods in 2007 were, well, up north.   As usual one of the most sane voices amongst the hue and cry is Simon Jenkins whose latest piece on the floods summarise much of what I think.

Now for the one organ of the media that really should feel ashamed of themselves – Channel 4 news.  In the past I have felt that Jon Snow and his colleagues were fair minded but hard hitting when needed to be.  However, when it comes to the floods in Thames Valley all of this seems to have gone out of the window.  Night after night they appear to be pedelling the same line that the people in the Thames Valley have been abandoned and no one is doing anything.  We had Jon Snow repeatedly asking who is charge of the flood operation and when told the answer didn’t seem to accept the answer.   He also stood in the water claiming that nothing was being done to help the local people of Wraybury when behind him the emergancy services were helping evacuate someone from their house.  Perhaps the real low point was when they interviewed Paul Daniels on his views of why the Thames flooded.  Mr Daniels maybe many things but I don’t believe he is an expert in river management and hydrology yet he was allowed broadcast his own views about why there River Thames has flooded without any challenge.

I am trying not to wonder if this were in Hull then they wouldn’t be so concerned and perhaps the reason for all this nonsense is that the editor and most of news reporters live in and around the flooding in the Thames Valley.  I may well be wrong but that is the impression they are giving.

Suffering from flooding is no doubt very distressing but if you live in a river valley then you really must expect these things.  NO amount of flood protection can help unless you expect unlimited funds to be thrown at the problem.   Even then the water has to go somewhere.

One final thing whilst I am letting off steam.  When we see photos of our ‘Dear Leader’ taking control of the situation out pointing and surveying the action he has no control over these things.  It is in the hands of the local experts who have to manage a highly complicated situation and by all accounts are doing a very good job.  Yes they will make mistakes but over all, given this exceptional weather event that we are suffering, very few houses have been flooded, flood prevention measures have worked and the country is going about its business.  The one region that probably is suffering more than most is the west country, especially Cornwall, but this is only problem for our leaders when they have nowhere to go on holiday this summer by which time the hard working local staff will have got things back to some semblance of order despite a flying visit by our Dear Leader.

Here endth the stream expulsion.