ONE year ago much of North Yorkshire was submerged by the worst flooding since records began. But this was not a one-off - Ryedale had flooded only 18 months earlier.

Freak weather is becoming the norm. This week will see the end of the warmest October on record. Heavy rain never seems far away. Experts have warned that global warming will make our already damp islands still wetter. Floods will occur with ever-increasing frequency and our defences must be built to withstand that.

A year ago, it seemed that the Government had realised this. Both Tony Blair and his deputy pledged to do more to protect vulnerable businesses and homes.

To be fair, ministers have pumped extra money into flood defence schemes - the Environment Agency says £20 million will have been spent across Yorkshire this year. But in the context of what is a massive problem, this sum is but a drop in the Ouse.

The agency says protecting York alone against future flooding would cost £11 million. Yet ministers want to see less than double that amount spent across the whole of Yorkshire next year.

And there are severe doubts about securing even that inadequate sum. On past form, some of the local authorities who make up the Regional Flood Committee are likely to refuse to stump up their share. To stop such squabbles, flood funding should come entirely from Whitehall.

It is not just about money, of course. There has been a lack of urgency about pushing flood protection schemes forward. So little has been achieved that people have taken to digging their own defences.

And a concerted national strategy, to ensure that piecemeal local schemes do not simply channel the flooding elsewhere, is desperately needed.

A year on and the sound of rainfall still fills flood victims with dread. They will only enjoy peace of mind when decent flood defences are built.

Updated: 10:33 Monday, October 29, 2001