This week one of the biggest stories around is the flooding in the north of England, Scotland and parts of Ireland.  

Now I’m a journalist who has been writing for ten years now and I’ve written articles and features about problems – and occasionally – solutions around flooding.

Now, I’ve been on my own on the newsdesk this week as the editor is off caring for the latest addition to his family – only the second so no offending this lot   http://www.edie.net/news/news_story.asp?id=17281&channel=0&title=More+than+two+kids+lead+to+%27bleak%27+future+

But as reports started to come in about the flooding this week I was initially somewhat hesitant about reporting it on a website which covers environmental news from around the world.

In this end I decided these floods were really serious and were more than worthy of coverage http://www.edie.net/news/news_story.asp?id=17287&channel=0&title=UPDATED%3A+1000s+evacuated+across+Cumbria+as+floods+hit

But, obviously catastrophes like this one apart where it seems a policeman may have tragically lost his life, floods are going to become less and less interesting to new providers.

Floods will always get some coverage because A, they make great pictures and B, they often happen in the summer during what the media call the ‘silly season’ when parliament is closed and there’s less ‘hard’ news.

But, if somewhere floods and then is fixed and some where else down the river floods next year – the news value of the story is diminishing along with the banks holding back the river.

I can see 2010 with floods low on the news agenda – which will be interesting - as it’s been the public’s rage in local and national media which has forced local authorities and the environment agency to take action.

I’ll be reading about the coverage of this flood over the weekend and keeping an interested eye on what happens in the next 12 months.

Luke