However ...

Global Climate Change ... or should I write Global Weather Change? ... driven by Global Warming is upon us.  The loss of arctic sea ice has destabilized expectations about the North Atlantic Oscillation:

<blockquote"... the Icelandic low - which normally sits between to the west of Iceland between there and Greenland - has appeared regularly to the east of Iceland and so allowed exceptionally cold air into Europe from the Arctic.</blockquote>

Cold dry air from the arctic meeting warm moist air from the Gulf Stream and Azores means snow.  And lots of it as long as the Icelandic low is to the east of Iceland.  When that low moves or dissipates temperatures should rebound to the "old normal" implying all that snow is going to melt.  

Melting snow plus the old normal rainfall says, "think flooding."  Certainly those who live in a hundred year flood plain should sit down and seriously consider how they can or should respond to a flood.  The urgency drops as one moves to a thousand year flood plain but even then I'd spend 15 minutes, or so, sketching a response plan.  Trust me on this:  IF it happens trying to figure out what to do AS it happens is too late.  

The Fens of England are certainly at risk for flooding.  The northern European plain is also a potential Ground Zero from Amsterdam down to Le Treport, France.  Other 'At Risk' areas are outside my knowledge.  Although I suspect the Thames Valley is a prime candidate; those tidal dams protecting London aren't going to do a bit of good for water flowing down to the Channel!

Well, unless the goal is to turn London into a lake.  :-)

I know I'm a bit of a worrywart, why I'm such a good Emergency Planner.  (LOL)  But it seems sensible, to a worrywart, to at least think about flooding and do some planning and preparation.


She believed in nothing; only her skepticism kept her from being an atheist. -- Jean-Paul Sartre