Only days after Storm Ciarán swept across Norfolk the prime minister visited the county - but his failure to stop off at a flooded village has been labelled a 'shame'.
It is understood that on Monday (November 6), while travelling to Bacton gas terminal, a car escorting Rishi Sunak passed within hundreds of yards of Potter Heigham which has been suffering its worst flooding in years.
Local flood warden Paul Rice said: "It's a shame he didn't stop to see how we were doing.
"If he had been made aware, which he probably hadn't been, we would have been able to show him the sorts of issues people in the county and the country are facing."
Harry Blathwayt, North Norfolk District councillor representing Potter Heigham, said: "No doubt the prime minister is a very busy man.
"But I would have thought it would have interested him that he was being driven over flooded land while pursuing his commitment to fossil fuels.
"I hope he looked out of the window of his limousine and saw the effects of his policy of encouraging fossil fuel use," Mr Blathwayt added.
Harry May, member of Potter Heigham Parish Council, said: "I think he should have stopped and had a look to see what sort of mess we've got into.
"These floods are as bad as I've seen all my life."
A government spokesperson said: “The Prime Minister’s thoughts are with all those affected by flooding in recent weeks, and we’re working closely with the Environment Agency, which has sent officers to the affected areas to ensure people get the help they need as soon as they need it.
“We know this will be a difficult time for families and businesses, and that’s why we recently announced new support for flood-hit areas, including cash grants to help households with immediate costs, funding to help improve flood resilience, as well as council tax and business rate relief.
“We’ve also been working hard to prevent areas at risk of flooding in Norfolk, including investing £221 million in flood risk management projects in the county, providing better protection for around 15,500 properties – part of a record £5.2 billion investment in flood and coastal erosion schemes and have better protected more than 381,000 properties since 2015," the spokesperson added.
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Aerial photos, taken by local photographer Mike Page, show the extent of the unprecedented flooding in the Broads nearly four days after Storm Ciaran swept across the county.
In Potter Heigham, businesses, villagers and volunteers have been battling the deluge since last week saw heavy rains coincide with high water levels on the River Thurne.
Water has been flowing from Hickling Broad, as well as from the tide at the other end of the village.
On Tuesday (November 7), flood levels had fallen slightly, by about 5cm, which was "not fantastic", but volunteers were continuing to monitor and release water.
The floodwaters have stayed up longer than during previous incidents - but Mr Rice expects the water to finally start receding within 48 hours.
"Hopefully we don't get any heavy rain in that time. Then it will be mopping up," he said.
Looking ahead, Mr Rice said that such flooding "is definitely going to happen on a more regular basis".
Once the village has been cleaned up, flood wardens will be meeting with businesses to see what can be done for the future.
"We can't stop it, it's impossible, but we will need to think about mitigation," he said.
He also praised the "fantastic co-operation" between flood wardens and agencies including the Water Management Alliance, Anglian Water, the Norfolk Police marine unit, as well as regular visits from the county council.
John Goldie, store manager at Lathams of Potter Heigham, said the back of the shop is still flooded but the main store is still trading.
"We're fighting against the water coming in from the back. We're also keeping the main shop open for customers. It's hard work.
"This is a busy period, coming up to Christmas. A lot of customers rely on us and our main priority is to keep the store open."
The store has now been flooded for five days. Mr Goldie, who has worked at Lathams for nine years, said it is the worst he has ever seen.
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