The Communities and Local Government Secretary has appeared to suggest the Government and authorities may have been slow to react to the problem of the flooding. Ministers have announced an extra £30m for emergency repairs - £130m in total.
Transport Secretary has called for a review of the long term future of the south west railway system.
Patrick McLoughlin said: "The immediate priority is to assess the damage and develop a plan to get the line back into service as soon as possible.
"But I am acutely conscious that the need to develop a long-term solution to the resilience of the railway network in the south west, and I have asked for a report to me on the options for addressing this problem."
The Democratic presidential candidate may also have shown his cards on his choice of running mate.
The US president also shared a post on Twitter accusing Dr Anthony Fauci of misleading the public over hydroxychloroquine.
Fears over an impending second wave of coronavirus dominates Wednesday’s front pages.