Geoff Wickham still has one small reminder of the devastating floods of 2000.

A small tide mark is left on one of the timbers in his 16th century house to show how high the floodwater rose.

Mr Wickham was one of the homeowners whose house was engulfed back in October 2000.

He was featured in our Flood Special the following week, when he said that he had just had a new kitchen fitted for the third time, because of floodwater.

Ten years on, despite the horrors that the rain brought, Mr Wickham has stayed put in Five Oak Green and he and his neighbour have had a sturdy 3ft wall built around their semi detached properties to keep the waters at bay.

He was one of the villagers who joined a Flood Action Group, which met regularly for a number of years, but meets less regularly now.

He said of the floods in 2000: "It was absolutely dreadful. We couldn’t relax. We didn’t know what we were going to find when we came back to the house.

"We do still worry a bit now. We drive up to the river and have a look and then if it’s OK we can relax.

"Since we built the wall though, we haven’t had to worry so much."

He is also prepared with boards to cover his doors and air bricks. He added: "There has been a lot of work done by various bodies since."

Latest figures show that although the number of people signing up to Floodline Warnings Direct increases each year, only 49 per cent of people who live in a flood risk area in Kent are signed up to receive flood warnings.

Flooding - 10 year anniversay special. How we coped - how we recovered. Don't miss this week's Kent Messenger.