Short Memories
Just after Gordon Brown replaced Labour's Tony Blair as Prime Minister, on 27 June 2007, part of the UK was hit by devastating floods and we had similar pictures to this we have seen in recent weeks - of politicians stomping around in Wellington boots doing their best to sound supportive and solicitous.
Now I'm not sure how one event compares to the other and although the latest floods in the south west of England look to be on a disastrous scale, it is perfectly possible that fewer properties and less overall damage is involved.
So, I did a search on the BBC web site and found this rather interesting report from 7 July 2007 which says that the floods in the north east hit 28,000 homes and 6,800 local businesses.
Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose - as they say in France.
Gordon Brown visited residents affected by the devastating floods
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has announced a £14m relief package for areas devastated by the recent floods.
Mr Brown unveiled the aid as he visited flooded residents in Hull and in Toll Bar near Doncaster.
Local councils will receive £10m for rebuilding, while £3m will go to repair roads and bridges, and £1m will help victims replace their lost possessions.
Hull council leader Carl Minns, who met the prime minister, said the help was welcome but "£14m is not enough".
The floods hit more than 28,000 homes and 6,800 businesses, mainly in the Midlands and northern England.
'We need help now'
Mr Brown said the £14m would help get people "back on their feet as quickly as possible".
He later said: "I'm absolutely sure that the extra money that we are providing today is essential; I also know that we are going to have to provide more money for reconstruction in the future."
The £1m to help victims replace possessions will be for the Department for Work and Pensions to meet additional grant applications because of the floods. It is for the replacement of "essential household items for vulnerable individuals and their families".
HAVE YOUR SAY
It's a tragic shame, but anybody who didn't have home insurance can't go moaning about that now 
Chris Handley, Manchester
Mr Brown also praised the "heroic efforts" of the emergency services, local authorities, Environment Agency and volunteers who battled to help the victims.
And he announced changes to the Bellwin scheme to make it easier for local councils to claim back additional costs from the government.
Flooded Hull resident Angelia Rudd said: "I think it's great that the prime minister has come but I hope he gets his finger out and gets us the financial aid we need; we need help and we need it now."
Her friend Kerry Milner added: "I think it's good he's come but I'm still sitting on contaminated furniture. My 10-year-old son has got asthma and the situation is dire.
"People like us without insurance need help now. I think it is good he has come, but let's hope it's not all talk."
Mr Minns said the £14m "won't even scratch the surface".
"We need future assurances that more money is on the way," he said.
'Right week'
The insurance industry estimates that claims will total £1.5bn, with claims from homes reaching £825m, and those from businesses adding up to £680m.
The Chartered Institute of Loss Adjusters says there have been 27,500 domestic claims with an average value of £30,000, and 6,800 claims from businesses averaging £100,000.
The work to make many houses habitable again is expected to take months.
HOMES FLOODED IN WORST-HIT AREAS
Local Government Association chairman Sir Simon Milton welcomed the "speedy response" from Mr Brown but said it was too early to have a clear estimate of the final cost.
"We will need to go back to the government in due course to ensure that people get the help that they need," he said.
Liberal Democrat spokesman Chris Huhne said the money was a "belated" recognition of the "sheer scale" of the problem, and also said the money might not be enough.
Earlier, Health Secretary Alan Johnson - who is MP in another badly hit area, Hull - said he had been shocked by the scale of the problem, but denied the government had reacted too slowly.
This was the "right week" to start the job of assessing the damage, he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
Appeals have also been set up to help those hit by the floods.
The Federation of Small Businesses has set up a £500,000 fund to offer short-term interest-free loans of up to £5,000 to members suffering "severe trading hardship".
The South Yorkshire Flood Disaster Relief Fund will raise money for those affected in Doncaster, Barnsley, Rotherham and Sheffield.
The city council in Hull has launched the Hull Flood Fund.
