Belatedly, the city government is looking at a range of new flood defences, including dykes.
ECONOMIST: The threat grows from rising water and sinking buildings
Meanwhile, a committee of MPs has raised concerns about the funds available to maintain flood defences.
Like much of Britain's other infrastructure, many flood defences were built by the Victorians.
Work on improving flood defences in Exeter will start in 2014, the Environment Agency says.
BBC: Exeter flood defence improvement works to start in 2014
An independent investigation was commissioned by the EA after the failure of the flood defences.
BBC: Kempsey flood defence failure due to waterlogged sensor
The number of agencies with responsibility for flood defences was also criticised by the watchdog.
The EA said flood defences at Polperro in Cornwall were "overtopped" by "unprecedented" levels of floodwater.
New flood defences in Worcestershire are working well, the Environment Agency (EA) has said.
Mr Throup said flood defences opened in Upton upon Severn in July were also working well.
Flood defences will be an excellent test of what this might actually mean in practice.
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Some home owners claimed they had been assured before buying the properties that flood defences were adequate.
Further flood defences have been put up in Worcestershire as heavy rain continues to increase river levels.
The Army were drafted in to help bolster flood defences in the North Yorkshire village of Cawood.
But Labour's shadow environment secretary, Mary Creagh, said the government's investment in flood defences actually represented a cut.
The pact obliges insurers to provide cover for high-risk properties while the government continues to improve flood defences.
In the rich world, some of the more obvious measures will include building bigger dykes and flood defences.
Flood defences have been put up in Worcestershire as melting snow and heavy rain raise the river levels.
BBC: Worcestershire flood barriers put up as river levels rise
Flood defences have been put up in Shrewsbury as more rain is forecast over the next few days.
Archaeologists are to start searching for a Roman fort ahead of the building of new flood defences in Derby.
The Environment Agency will build overflow areas, raise flood defences and install a culvert along Salmons Brook in Edmonton.
He said 53, 000 properties would have been flooded this year without flood defences.
Although the Welsh government's "baseline" spending on flood defences is growing slightly, other sources of funding have been cut.
Hylton Road in Worcester was closed between 12:30 and 14:00 GMT while pumps were installed behind the flood defences.
BBC: Worcestershire flood barriers put up as river levels rise
Flood defences remain in place along the River Severn at Ironbridge in Shropshire.
Dr Garcia-Chevesich said this area of research was controversial because changing the design of flood defences was very expensive.
The Environment Agency is taking separate action to protect sand dune flood defences which are being eroded by the wind.
The Environment Agency has said it will work with residents of a Cumbrian town on the design for flood defences.
The Environment Agency is already investigating how water from the river Clwyd breached flood defences built on the Glasdir site.
In Oxfordshire, council workers have been busy pumping flood water out of drains and putting temporary flood defences in place.
Businesses close to flood defences in Ironbridge say trade over the Christmas and new year period has been severely affected.
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