flood disaster

Stayed in with some Stella and Mr Toms last night and watched the British disaster movie 'Flood'. And what a disaster it is too. Starring two icons - Robert Carlyle and Tom Courtenay - surely we could have at least expected something half decent? Had they played Begbie and Billy Liar perhaps, but Carlyle plays a gormless yuppie and Courtenay plays a rheumy-eyed humourless professor. The whole film from start to finish is a wish-fulfilment fantasy - London flooded, great loss of life. It could have been such fun. But it was so downbeat and lacking in character or spectacle that I'd rather have watched Wacky Races with the sound off.

But what's this? Vicious storm to the north of Scotland with 90 mph winds, storm surge down the North Sea, London flood barrier raised, spring tides ... oh dear, that's just what's happening in reality tonight! Looks like we may be in for a re-run of 1953. They're forecasting a 2.9 metre storm surge. That's scary. 1953 was 2.4 metres ... and the land has sunk 6 inches since then, and sea level risen about 2 inches.

But ... if you live on the North Sea coast surely you've taken this possibility into account, your house prices will almost certainly reflect this risk. Why are the people in Great Yarmouth fighting over sandbags? Surely if you live in Great Yarmouth you already have sandbags? And flood boards. And you're moving your furniture onto upper floors. You've got tinned food, bottled water and everything else ready - always.

This is the future. It will get far worse. It's your responsibility to be prepared, no-one else will look after you. Stop whingeing and just sit it out. This is the tame taster for a wild future. Get used to it. Be Dutch about it ...