The poor victims? there are folk that live a good distance from the river who have been affected, and I feel for them. Now in Ironbridge ( Shropshire) not far from me is renown for flooding with far less rain that we have seen of late. The properties that line the river banks are very expensive, because of there views, anyone buying these know the risk of flooding is always there.
Now one man from Shropshire decided to buy an old boathouse on the edge of the river ( listed building) to buy a listed building can be expensive to start with, he's been renovating this for the last 18 months so he says, and invested his life savings, so he can let it out as an holiday home. Sorry mate, but that's was a very bad business move, no good screaming at the government for compensation, you knew the risks.
I believe the late Paul Daniels had a home on the edge of the river Thames at one point and he lost all. At no point do I enjoy to see people have this happen to them, its awful, and for months after, but you have to take responsibility for your own decisions. Conclusion, folk who have the funds to buy expensive property along the river edge, should buy the expensive insurance, not try to hood wink the government.