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Am I at Risk?

6.3 million properties in England are at risk of flooding from one or a combination of rivers, the sea and surface water, with many others susceptible to various sources of flooding. This number is only set to increase due to climate change, making the need for you to check your own risk ever more important. There are some useful tools to help you check for flooding, giving you a head start to prepare your property for potential flooding.

Types of Flooding

River Flooding

River flooding, also known as fluvial flooding, occurs as a result of intense or sustained rainfall across a catchment area and causes the capacity of the river to be exceeded. It can affect both main rivers and ordinary watercourses.

The Environment Agency is responsible for managing flood risk from main rivers, the sea and for the strategic overview of all flooding and coastal erosion management. They have a strategic overview of all sources of flooding and coastal erosion (as defined in the Flood and Water Management Act 2010). They lead on flood and coastal erosion risk management activities on main rivers and the coast. To report any blockages, flooding or pollution incidents, visit the GOV.UK website here or call their incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60.

Click here to find out what the Environment Agency do during an incident.

River Ribble during flooding in Ribchester, Lancashire.

River Ribble during flooding in Ribchester, Lancashire

 


 

Surface Water Flooding

Pluvial flooding, also referred to as surface water flooding, happens when the ground can no longer absorb water or rainfall exceeds the drainage capacity of surface water sewers and drains, causing water to accumulate and flow overland instead of being absorbed. This type of flooding can be worsened by blocked road gullies, sewers, and drains, as well as saturated land and increased hard surfaces.

The Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) is responsible for managing the risk of flooding from surface water and producing local flood risk management strategies, as well as investigating and producing a Section 19 report for flooding incidents when deemed necessary. You should report this type of flooding to your LLFA which will either be the District Council, provided it is a Unitary Authority, or the County Council. Find your local council here.

FACT: The threat of surface water flooding has increased by 43% to 4.6 million (2024) since the Environment Agency’s last assessment (2018). In comparison, there is 2.7 million at risk from rivers and the sea. – Environment Agency


 

Groundwater Flooding

Groundwater flooding occurs when the water table rises above the surface, usually during a prolonged wet period. Low lying areas, areas near aquifers, and properties with cellars or basements are more likely to experience groundwater flooding. You can find out whether there are any groundwater flooding alerts or warnings here.

The Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) is responsible for managing the risk of flooding from groundwater and producing local flood risk management strategies, as well as investigating and producing a Section 19 report for flooding incidents when deemed necessary. You should report this type of flooding to your LLFA which will either be the District Council, provided it is a Unitary Authority, or the County Council. Find your local council here.


 

Sewer Flooding

Sewer flooding incidents usually happen as a result of blockages caused by the misuse of the sewerage system, for example, by flushing unsuitable items down the toilet. Heavy rainfall can also contribute to overloading the sewerage system, especially when there are blockages. It can be dangerous as contaminated sewage may end up in properties or rivers.

It is important that only the 3 P’s are flushed down the toilet (paper, pee and poo). Any other unsuitable items or fat, oil and grease (FOG) can lead to blockages and flooding. Check out our resource on ‘Sewers, Blockages and Flooding,’ here for more information.

Water and sewerage companies are responsible for managing the risk of flooding from public sewers and utility pipes. In the North West, this is United Utilities. To report sewer flooding call 03456 723 723, to report a leak or a burst water main call 0800 33 00 33, for blocked drains visit their website here, or visit this webpage for more information.

 

FACT: More than 3,000 homes are flooded in the UK every year because of fat, oil and grease (FOG) blockages and fatbergs – Southern Water.


 

Coastal Flooding

Coastal flooding has a variety of causes but most commonly occurs from storm surges, where high storm winds and low pressure push sea water towards the coast, creating large waves that are likely to overtop coastal defences. Coastal erosion causes the coastline to retreat inland, increasing the risk of coastal flooding and the potential loss of land.

Climate change is causing rising sea levels of around 4mm per year, which may contribute to flooding, as not only does it make low lying land more vulnerable but it gives storm surges a higher starting point. Flooding may be more likely on developed land that has been reclaimed from the sea via coastal management. Even a small rise in sea levels may be enough to cause flooding in these areas.

The Environment Agency is responsible for managing flood risk from the sea, main rivers and for the strategic overview of all flooding and coastal erosion management. To report any blockages, flooding or pollution incidents, visit the GOV.UK website here or call their incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60.

Download our ‘Influences on coastal flooding’ resource here.

 

 

 

Fact: The Environment Agency’s updated assessment shows how coastal erosion risk is changing across our shorelines, with 3,500 properties expected to be in areas at risk of coastal erosion in the period up to 2055, increasing to about 10,100 properties by the end of the century. 


 

Road Flooding

Flooding on the road can come from a number of sources and most commonly from blocked gullies and drains and the exceeded capacity of the drainage system when there is heavy rainfall.

The highway authority are responsible for ensuring that there is no increased flood risk from any roads and road projects. For gullies and drains on main roads and smaller roads, the highway authority is usually the County Council or Unitary Authority. To report flooding to them, find your local council here. National Highways is the responsible highway authority for flooding on major roads and motorways.

 

Road flooding in Ribchester, March 2019

Road flooding in Ribchester, March 2019

 


 

Flash Flooding

Flash flooding often happens without warning due to intense and heavy rainfall. Places that have gone through a long period of dry weather, as well as urban areas with a lot of hard surfaces, are at higher risk of flash flooding as the land can’t absorb the water. Locations situated near steep valleys are particularly vulnerable to this type of flooding.

The Environment Agency have put together some further information on flash flooding, click here to find out more.

The source of the flash flood will often determine who is responsible for managing the flood risk.

Download our flash flooding resource here.

 

 

 


 

Reservoir Flooding

Reservoir flooding is very unlikely to happen, but in the rare chance that it does, it may happen with little or no warning and can cause major damage. Some of the causes of reservoir flooding include improper maintenance, a leak or crack in the dam or embankment structure, a landslip down the embankment of a dam and slope instability. Most large reservoirs are operated by water companies (United Utilities in the North West) or the Environment Agency, and are regularly monitored and inspected to ensure they are safe. Reservoir maps were created to help authorities and emergency services plan for the risk of reservoir flooding, by showing how far flood water would spread in a worst case scenario.

If you own or operate a reservoir, there are certain requirements which must be met and different sized reservoirs have different requirements. ‘Large raised reservoirs’ are those which hold at least 25,000 cubic metres of water above ground level and they must be registered with the Environment Agency.

Download our Reservoir Flooding one page summary here and our ‘Introduction to Reservoir Flooding’ booklet here.

 


 

Canal Flooding

Canal flooding occurs when the water levels are too high and over top, which can happen when locks are operated incorrectly or vandalised. Flooding from canals is rare, but even with the best controls in place there can sometimes be too much water to manage.

Incidents can be reported to the Canal and River Trust, during office hours, by calling 0303 040 4040. If the canal towpath is flooded or there is a failure of the canal bank, there is a 24 hr emergency contact number 0800 479 9947. If there is an emergency call 999.