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Braunton Flooding

Devon • Live river level monitoring on River Caen & River Caen (Tidal)
2 monitoring stations
2 rivers
8 warning areas
🏠 Thinking of buying in Braunton? Get the detailed Property Flood-Risk Report for any Braunton postcode — official risk band, recorded floods since 1703, warning history, river behaviour and nearby storm overflows. £19 one-off, instant. Learn more →

Does Braunton flood? 66 postcodes in Braunton are in the Environment Agency's rivers-and-sea flood-risk data (39 High, 9 Medium likelihood) — the breakdown is further down this page.

Flood risk in Braunton today: Normal

No official flood warning is active nearby and the closest river stations are within normal ranges.

Updated 2026-10-10 04:45:36 UTC · Official GOV.UK warnings · Flood preparation & help guide

About Braunton
Braunton
Village in Devon, England

Braunton is a large village, civil parish, ecclesiastical parish and former manor in Devon. The village is situated 5 miles (8 km) west of Barnstaple. It is one of the largest villages in Devon with a population at the 2021 census of 10,217 people. There are two electoral wards. Their joint population at the above census was 8,218. Within the parish is the fertile, low-lying Braunton Great Field, which adjoins the undulating Braunton Burrows, the Core Area in North Devon Biosphere Reserve, the largest psammosere in England. It confronts the Atlantic Ocean at the west of the parish at the large beach of Saunton Sands, one of the South West's international-standard surfing beaches.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Flood Contacts
Floodline 24hr
0345 988 1188
Emergency
999
The map of Braunton’s gauges and flood maps loads as you reach it.
River Caen (Tidal) 1 station
Braunton ▲ Rising
10 Oct 04:15
3.14m
Recent Flood Events
30 Sep 2026 13:12 Flood Alert
North Devon coast from Hartland Point to Lynmouth
30 Sep 2026 13:11 Flood Alert
South Devon coast from Start Point to Dawlish Warren
30 Sep 2026 13:10 Flood Alert
South Devon Estuaries
30 Sep 2026 10:43 Flood Alert
Plymouth Sound, Wembury Bay and tidal estuaries
29 Sep 2026 14:52 Flood Alert
South Devon coast from Start Point to Dawlish Warren
29 Sep 2026 14:12 Flood Alert
South Devon Estuaries

Does Braunton flood?

Ordnance Survey places 66 postcodes in Braunton in the Environment Agency's rivers-and-sea flood-risk dataset (Risk of Flooding from Rivers and Sea). Each postcode is counted once, under the worst band any of its properties reaches; together they hold 744 properties in the EA dataset's likelihood bands.

EA likelihood bandPostcodes (worst band)Properties in the EA datasetof which homes
High39330209
Medium99965
Low18314239
Very low010
All bands66744513

This dataset covers flooding from rivers and the sea only — one of five flood sources. Surface water, groundwater, sewers and reservoirs are assessed separately, so a postcode missing from it is not proof that a place cannot flood. The band describes the land around properties (allowing for defences), not any single address and not today's conditions.

The 66 at-risk postcodes in Braunton, worst band first

High likelihood (39)

Medium likelihood (9)

Low likelihood (18)

Postcode districts

Places nearby with a page of their own

Bideford

Flood-risk bands: © Environment Agency copyright and/or database right 2025. All rights reserved. Some features of this map are based on digital spatial data from the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, © NERC (CEH). © Crown Copyright and Database Rights 2025 OS AC0000807064. This product is produced in part from PAF® and Multiple Residence Data, the copyright in which is owned by Royal Mail Group Limited and/or Royal Mail Group plc. All rights reserved. Licence number AC0000807064.

Place names: Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database rights 2026. Contains Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right 2026. Contains National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

All data sources & licences

The watercourse nearest Braunton

The nearest watercourse on the river map is the River Caen, about 60 m from the middle of Braunton's gauges. It flows into the River Taw about 3.4 km downstream.

A gauge downstream shows water that has already passed this point; one upstream sees it first. Distances along the river are from the point on the River Caen nearest the middle of Braunton's gauges. From Ordnance Survey’s river map (OS Open Rivers), which leaves out small streams, ditches and culverts, so a nearer one may exist. This describes where water goes on the map; it says nothing about flooding at any address. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database rights 2026.

Useful Links
Flood Monitoring in Braunton

Braunton is monitored by 2 Environment Agency river level stations on the River Caen, the River Caen (Tidal), in Devon. Water levels are updated every 15 minutes, providing real-time flood monitoring for the area.

Monitoring Stations

The River Caen is monitored by 1 station (Braunton Butts Bridge). The River Caen (Tidal) is monitored by 1 station (Braunton). Each station records water levels continuously, with data synced to FloodRadar every 5 minutes.

Flood Warning Areas

There are 8 Environment Agency flood warning areas within 10km of Braunton. When the EA issues a flood warning for any of these areas, it will appear on this page. These include: Properties and roads in low lying areas of Braunton and Knowle, including Stony Bridge, Deans Bridge, Chaloner's Road, Caen Street, Chapel Street, South Street, Station Road and Velator areas; low lying areas and communities in the Taw Torridge Estuary, including Instow, Appledore, Fremington, Muddlebridge, Braunton Marsh, Velator, Wrafton, Chivenor and Yelland; Coastal and tidal areas between Hartland Point and Lynmouth, including the Taw Torridge estuary; Vulnerable parts of Barnstaple, including Victoria Road, New Road, Taw Vale, Town Square, Castle Quay, Pilton and Chaddiford Lane.

Sewage Discharge Monitoring

There are 9 storm overflows within 5km of Braunton. None of the 8 with a reporting monitor are currently discharging (1 has no live status right now). Enable "Sewage" on the map above to see their locations.

6 of them, nearest first, with their own page of live status and past discharges:

What To Do During A Flood

If flooding is forecast in Braunton, call Floodline on 0345 988 1188 for the latest information. Move valuables upstairs, turn off gas and electricity if safe to do so, and avoid walking or driving through flood water. Sign up for flood warnings on any station page above to receive email alerts when water levels rise. For emergency numbers, a preparation checklist and insurance guidance, see our flood help & preparation guide.

How much rain falls on Braunton

Braunton gets about 1,035 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month October, 124 mm; driest April, 62 mm). That is close to the UK as a whole, which averages 1,163 mm a year. See the rain gauges →

A thirty-year average for the area, not a forecast and not a flood risk on its own. Source: Met Office HadUK-Grid 1991–2020 (5 km grid), 1.6 km away. Average rainfall: HadUK-Grid v1.3.2, Met Office. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Recorded floods near Braunton

Floods whose mapped extent (EA Recorded Flood Outlines) reached within ~5 km of the town centre — most recent first. These are records of mapped extents, not a full list of floods. See them on the map →

  • 2012-12-22 — Braunton Flood December 2012 (Main river)
  • 1979-12-27 — River Caen: Braunton (Main river)
  • 1979-12-27 — River Caen: Braunton (Main river)

Records, not floods: no outline on the record is not evidence a place has not flooded.

Frequently asked questions

Is there flooding in Braunton today?

Current verdict: Normal. No official flood warning is active nearby and the closest river stations are within normal ranges.

Which rivers affect Braunton?

Braunton has river level monitoring on River Caen, River Caen (Tidal) — 2 monitoring stations in total.

How do I check official flood warnings for Braunton?

Use the GOV.UK Check for Flooding service (check-for-flooding.service.gov.uk) or call Floodline on 0345 988 1188 (24 hours). You can also set up free FloodRadar email or browser alerts from any station page above.

What should I do during a flood warning?

Follow official advice: move valuables and vehicles to safety, never walk or drive through flood water, turn off gas and electricity if safe, and check on vulnerable neighbours. See our flood preparation guide at floodradar.co.uk/flood-help.

Has Braunton flooded before?

Yes — the Environment Agency's Recorded Flood Outlines dataset shows 3 recorded flood extents around the town centre since 1703, most recently in 2012. That is a count of mapped extents, not of separate floods. Records, not floods: no outline on the record is not evidence a place has not flooded. See the flood history link below.

🏠 Buying or renting around here? Get the Property Flood-Risk Report for any English postcode — official risk band, recorded floods, warning history, river behaviour and nearby storm overflows. £19 one-off. Learn more →