Does Budleigh Salterton flood?

What the Environment Agency's rivers-and-sea flood-risk data says about Budleigh Salterton

Ordnance Survey places 24 postcodes in Budleigh Salterton 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 184 properties in the EA dataset's likelihood bands.

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.

Rivers and live river levels near Budleigh Salterton

Environment Agency gauges within 10 km of Budleigh Salterton watch Knowle Stream, River Otter, Budleigh Brook, Otterton Brook, Withycombe Brook, Wotton Brook, South Devon Coast, Exe Estuary, River Sid, Wool Brook.

• Budleigh Salterton Station Road
  Knowle Stream · 0.2 km away 0.11 m
  normal range · steady · 36 min ago
• Budleigh South Farm Road West Bridge Tidal
  River Otter · 1.3 km away 1.84 mAOD
  rises and falls with the tide · 36 min ago
• Budleigh South Farm Road White Bridge Tidal
  River Otter · 1.6 km away 2.12 mAOD
  rises and falls with the tide · 36 min ago
• East Budleigh Brookfield Road
  Budleigh Brook · 2.5 km away 0.68 m
  normal range · falling · 36 min ago
• Otterton Fore Street Gibbonhole
  Otterton Brook · 3.9 km away 0.11 m
  normal range · steady · 36 min ago
• Exmouth Phear Park
  Withycombe Brook · 5.6 km away 0.06 m
  normal range · 36 min ago
• Dotton
  River Otter · 6.8 km away 0.40 m
  normal range · rising · 36 min ago
• Lympstone Longbrook Lane
  Wotton Brook · 6.9 km away 0.14 m
  normal range · steady · 36 min ago
• Exmouth Tidal
  South Devon Coast · 7.1 km away 2.33 mAOD
  rises and falls with the tide · 36 min ago
• Lympstone Tidal
  Exe Estuary · 7.8 km away 2.46 mAOD
  rises and falls with the tide · 36 min ago
• Sidmouth
  River Sid · 8.6 km away 0.06 m
  normal range · steady · 36 min ago
• Sidmouth Higher Woolbrook Road
  Wool Brook · 9.2 km away 0.13 m
  normal range · falling · 36 min ago

Distances are from the middle of Budleigh Salterton's at-risk postcodes. Tidal and structure gauges are shown as readings only — the tide and sluice gates move them, not floods. A gauge with no recent reading shows no level.

Flood warning areas near Budleigh Salterton

7 Environment Agency flood warning areas lie within 10 km of Budleigh Salterton. The EA has issued 31 flood warnings and alerts for them since 2006, most recently on 27 Jan 2026.

• Exposed coastal areas of Sidmouth, Seaton, Dawlish Warren, Exmouth and Budleigh Salterton
  23 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Jan 2026 6.1 km
• Low-lying parts of Exmouth, including the docks, Camperdown Terrace, Victoria Road, Marine Way, Exeter Road, the Strand, the Parade and the Esplanade areas
  no warning on record since 2006 6.4 km
• riverside properties and roads including Tipton St John, Harpford, Newton Poppleford including the A3052, Colaton Raleigh, Otterton and Budleigh Salterton
  8 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Jan 2026 6.8 km
• Low-lying parts of Lympstone, including The Strand, Quay Lane and Chapel Lane
  no warning on record since 2006 7.6 km
• low-lying parts of Sidmouth, including The Esplanade, Fore Street, East Street and Ham Lane areas
  no warning on record since 2006 8.3 km
• Low-lying parts of Starcross and Cockwood, including The Strand and Generals Lane at Starcross and Cockwood Harbour
  no warning on record since 2006 8.9 km
• low lying properties and roads including, Primley Gardens, Mill Street, Riverside Road, York Street, Ham Lane, East Street and Fore Street areas
  no warning on record since 2006 9.4 km

Recorded floods near Budleigh Salterton

Floods whose mapped extent (EA Recorded Flood Outlines) reached within ~5 km of Budleigh Salterton, most recent first. Records, not floods: no outline on the record is not evidence a place has not flooded. See them on the map →

• 1 Nov 2023 — Nov 2023 - Storm Ciaran Sea
• 7 Jul 2012 — Littleham Flood July 2012 Ordinary watercourse
• 30 Oct 2008 — Otter Catchment1 Main river
• 30 Oct 2008 — Otterton Main river
• 30 Oct 2008 — Budleigh Salterton Main river
• 30 Oct 2008 — Otter Catchment5 Main river
• 12 Nov 2002 — November 2002 Ordinary watercourse
• 30 Oct 2000 — Autumn 2000 Event - Budleigh Salterton Ordinary watercourse
• 30 Oct 2000 — Autumn 2000 Event - Otterton Ordinary watercourse
• 9 Jan 1982 — Jan-82 Sea
• 2 Dec 1972 — Littleham Brook: 1972 Ordinary watercourse
• 10 Jul 1968 — River Otter: July 1968 Main river

…and 5 earlier recorded floods on the map.

Rainfall near Budleigh Salterton

Budleigh Salterton gets about 837 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month November, 94 mm; driest July, 48 mm). That is 28% drier than the UK as a whole, which averages 1,163 mm a year. Source: Met Office HadUK-Grid 1991–2020 (5 km grid), 1.3 km from the place centre.

The nearest rain gauge, Rainfall station (4.2 km away), recorded 3.6 mm in the last 24 hours and 54.5 mm in the last 7 days (latest reading 36 min ago).

At-risk postcodes in Budleigh Salterton

Every postcode Ordnance Survey places in Budleigh Salterton that appears in the EA's rivers-and-sea dataset, worst band first. Each links to its own flood-risk page.

High likelihood (17)

Medium likelihood (5)

Low likelihood (2)

Postcode districts

Sources

FloodRadar summarises public flood data. It is not a flood-risk survey of any property, and it does not replace official GOV.UK flood warnings or the GOV.UK long-term flood risk service.