This week marks the 10th anniversary of a series of destructive summer floods which ravaged parts of the UK in 2007.
Thirteen people were killed and thousands forced to evacuate their homes or be rescued from them as the country suffered its wettest May to July period since records began in 1776.
Countless homes and businesses were left marooned by the summer floods.
Average rainfall across the country for June was 5.5 inches (140mm), which is more than double the average.
Summer floods strike after month of rain falls in one day
A month of rainfall fell in 24 hours when 4.7 inches of rain fell on already sodden ground in southern England swelling rivers and drainage systems to breaking point.
Local authorities throughout the country described flood rescue efforts throughout June and July as the biggest in peacetime Britain.
It is estimated the devastation cost the UK £3.2bn. Most of the costs were incurred by homes and businesses which were flooded when rivers burst their banks.
On average, each flooded home suffered between £23,000 and £30,000 of damage, while the cost to the average business was between £75,000 and £112,000.
Summer floods were a “national catastrophe”
The flooding left such a trail of damage that it amounted to a “national catastrophe”, according to the Environment Agency.
It added: “The scale and seriousness of the summer 2007 floods were sufficient to classify them as a national disaster.
“For many people affected, the floods were a personal tragedy from which recovery is a slow and difficult process.”
Lessons learned after 2007 summer floods
Many of those affected by the flooding, especially those living where there was an established risk of flooding, will have had huge problems finding suitable domestic insurance to protect themselves.
Some lessons were learned after the flooding of 2007 and work was done to protect flood risk areas, but floods continue to strike with alarming regularity.
Adrian Flux is one of only a few insurance brokers able to access a range of insurance options to most owners of properties located in those areas at moderate and high risk of flooding, or which have previously been flooded.