IT’S raining again. I am just looking out of the window as I write this and there is a light drizzle. Hard to believe we’re still technically in a drought with concerns about water supplies this summer. 

To add to the irony, I have just come back from hosting a conference on flooding. We either have too much water or not enough! 

The conference in Plymouth marked the end of a two-year project to help communities better understand the risks posed by flooding and climate change. 

It was a project that extended across parts of the UK and France and the conference was a chance for delegates from both countries to share knowledge and experience of how to help people in flood prone areas to be better prepared. 

There were some very novel ideas. In France they staged festivals and community activities along the banks of the rivers that flood. 

It encouraged people to get together to think about the issues of climate change and flooding while at the same time enjoying a day out. 

It was clear from some of the surveys undertaken for the project that getting people actively involved in flood action plans is a challenge. Perhaps not surprising. Unless you’re regularly flooded, why would you give it much thought?

But with our weather becoming more and more extreme, the risk from flooding is affecting an increasing number of people. So perhaps it is worth thinking about. 

During my time on BBC Spotlight, I was sent to cover numerous major flooding events. 

In fact, I seem to remember that on my first day at Spotlight I went to Ottery St Mary to report on the clear-up after flooding a few days before. 

I have never forgotten the smell of rotting food in the storeroom of a shop that had been left covered in thick mud after filthy water had poured through it.

The biggest and most famous flood I covered was in Boscastle. 

The name of that pretty harbourside village is now forever known around the world because of the dramatic events of 2004. 

The scale of the destruction was almost impossible to comprehend. 

I ended up broadcasting from the scene every night for a week. I saw first hand how flooding can destroy homes and businesses in seconds. 

It was the same in Lostwithiel. I remember standing alongside a raging River Fowey after a massive and very localised storm caused the river to burst its banks, once again leaving a thick and foul-smelling layer of mud in its wake. 

Rising

Then there was Coverack. Like Boscastle, a freak storm dumped a deluge of water on the village. Roads, gardens, personal belongings and even a kitchen sink were washed away towards the sea. 

I interviewed one man who had been airlifted to safety along with his wife after their home was swamped in seconds and they couldn’t escape from the rapidly rising water. 

Telling their story was one of the few times emotion almost got the better of me live on air. I got a lump in my throat and fought back tears as I described how their garden, which was their pride and joy and had taken years of hard work, was lost.

Seeing the effects of flooding up close like that has left a lasting impression on me, and although thankfully I have never personally been affected by flooding, I don’t underestimate the risk.

I have become a bit obsessive about clearing our drains and gutters regularly. 

I often clear the drains along the road where we live; they are constantly getting blocked by mud, leaves and other debris. 

The council clears them once or twice a year, but it takes half a day to do all the drains and ditches, and that’s just one short section of a country lane. 

Imagine how long it would take to clear all the drains alongside the roads of Devon and Cornwall. 

It’s a huge task; in fact I would argue it’s impossible. But I would also urge councils not to underestimate how vital it is. 

I have seen a lot of flooding caused simply because leaves blocked the drains. 

Surely better to invest in keeping drains and ditches clear, than having to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds rebuilding roads destroyed by flooding. 

Not to mention the economic impact on businesses and the incalculable human cost. 

But it can’t all be left to the council. People need to be encouraged to do more to manage flood risk in their local communities, including helping to keep the drains clear.

Witnessing the consequences of flooding over the years and listening to experts at the recent conference I attended, has made me realise we all need to up our game and take the issue more seriously. 

The fact we’re officially still in a drought with a hosepipe ban doesn’t mean flooding has gone away. I hope smarter people than me are seeing a link.  

We need more solutions to divert excess water and store it without the need to build huge and expensive reservoirs. 

In the meantime, I plan to get another water butt to supplement the two I already have. 

I can hopefully do my bit by diverting rainwater away from the drains and saving it for when the garden is parched. 

Although at the moment it’s hard to imagine a time when the garden will ever need watering. 

That light drizzle has just turned into a steady downpour! 

Bye for now.