Well, where I live the council have been out cutting dangerous trees, dredging the ditches and generally preparing for the storms and clearing after each one. So it isnt all bad.
BUT we dont get anything else where I am. We get this because we kicked merry hell to the council and the MP when we were left flooded twenty years ago after they built houses on a flood plain and the water came on down like never before.
Now, despite government requirements they have curtailed building as most locals will put in objections if there are any planning applications for larger scale housing. We have flood measures and people kick to the local council everytime there is a blocked gully.
The council dont like it but we pay high council tax and a lot of people got fed up of it being spent on things for those who are in the minorities ( of all kinds , not just the obvious).
There has been a lot of controversy especially when some councilors were hounded by certain groups for saying what they thought but the bottom line here is COMPLAIN to the councilors, and vote the s*bs out if they dont start sorting the issues.