Nearly half of beef farmer Richard Hanby's land, just outside Tewkesbury, was devastated when the river Severn burst its banks.
"It was very surprising to have flooding like that in June. I usually harvest hay and silage at that time of year, but the water just killed everything: lots of young trees, oaks, a corn field. It looked like a nuclear bomb had gone off afterwards; all the fields were just brown. Financially, it wasn't a good year."
Hanby remains sceptical about whether the local and national authorities have learned any lessons.
"I'm sure the Pitt report and all the recommendations have kept a lot of people very busy, but nothing will get done to stop flooding like this. To a certain extent it's inevitable, but the weir hasn't been desilted for a long time, and the way the barriers and sluice gates are being used is impractical. There are no quick fixes to flooding like this - for example, sandbags for me last year would have been no use.
"There needs to be a better understanding of the weather cycle
and river flow. The authorities need to look at how to control the river: dams, sluices and dykes need to be used properly. Use them improperly and you can cause different problems, like the drying up of rivers elsewhere. There is no easy solution.
"All these little measures, like not tarmacking your drive, aren't going to make any difference," says Hanby. "I'm old enough to remember the great flood in 1947, but that was due to melting snow. Last summer was different, and I expect it will happen again."
