Blight has never gone away. I grow my own spuds here in Devon: and the recent succession of humid summers has provided perfect conditions for the fungus to flourish - particularly on the tomato crop. At least we now have some means of controlling it - although the remedies available to the non-commercial grower aren’t that effective.
Is this why Great Britain has often been called, “dear old Blighty?” I never dreamed they were referring to potato blight.:)