Environment Secretary Owen Paterson told ITV News he "can't do more" than visit flood-hit communities and listen to the concerns of local people as he was criticised by furious residents during a visit to the Somerset Levels today.
Somerset County Council has declared a "major incident" with further flooding expected in the region.
Large parts of the county remain underwater after flooding earlier this month and now residents face further problems as the wet weather persists.
Environment Secretary Owen Paterson is expected to visit the worst-hit areas of Somerset today.
People living in properties identified as being at risk of flooding have been visited over the weekend by either emergency services, local authorities or local utility companies, while the Local Resilience Forum's Strategic Co-ordination Group met last night to discuss the threat.
"Our priority has to be to keep people safe," Somerset County Council deputy chief executive Pat Flaherty said.
"We are doing everything we can to do this and we believe that declaring a major incident shows just how urgent the situation is for many of our residents and communities."
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