Does Burnham-on-Sea flood?

What the Environment Agency's rivers-and-sea flood-risk data says about Burnham-on-Sea

Ordnance Survey places 334 postcodes in Burnham-on-Sea 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 8,222 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 Burnham-on-Sea

Environment Agency gauges within 10 km of Burnham-on-Sea watch River Parrett, Kings Sedgemoor Drain, North Drain.

• Dunball Tidal Tidal Structure
  River Parrett · 8.4 km away 2.46 mAOD
  rises and falls with the tide · 1 h ago
• Dunball
  Kings Sedgemoor Drain · 8.5 km away 2.70 mAOD
  normal range · steady · 1 h ago
• North Drain
  North Drain · 9.9 km away 1.82 mAOD
  normal range · rising · 1 h ago

Distances are from the middle of Burnham-on-Sea'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 Burnham-on-Sea

15 Environment Agency flood warning areas lie within 10 km of Burnham-on-Sea. The EA has issued 147 flood warnings and alerts for them since 2006, most recently on 24 Oct 2026.

• Burnham-on-Sea Holiday Village, Maple Drive, Steart Avenue, Lynton Road, Adam Street, High Street, Victoria Street, Chichester Close and Seaview Road
  1 warning or alert since 2006, latest Jan 2014 0.4 km
• Coastline between South Esplanade and Berrow including Margaret Crescent, Pier Street, Abingdon Street, The Esplanade, College Street and Regent Street
  7 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Feb 2022 1.2 km
• Coastline between Stolford and the tidal River Parrett including properties around Ridgeway Lane and Gorpit Lane in Stolford and Church Farm, Dowells Farm, Coxs Farm and Manor Farm in Steart
  2 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Mar 2020 4.6 km
• Coastline between Stolford and the tidal River Parrett including Chapple Cottages in Stolford and low lying properties in Steart
  4 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Mar 2020 5.4 km
• Properties and Caravan Sites along Coast Road, South Road, Church Road and Warren Road in Brean and properties from Wick and Edingworth to the south to Loxton to the east and Bleadon to the north including Lympsham and Eastertown
  no warning on record since 2006 6.2 km
• Coastal areas at Dunster Beaches, Blue Anchor, Steart, Stolford and Brean
  113 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Oct 2026 6.3 km
• West Huntspill, Highbridge, Burnham-on-Sea and Berrow to the west to Mark in the east including East Huntspill, Edithmead, East Brent and Rooksbridge
  no warning on record since 2006 6.6 km
• Hurn Lane to Brean Down including Red Road, Ham Road and Weston Road
  2 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Mar 2020 6.8 km
• Coastline between Berrow and Brean Down including seafront properties at Brean Down Cove and Brean Down Farm
  7 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Mar 2020 7.1 km
• Stolford Farm, Whitewick Farm, Chalcott Farm and Marsh Farm areas and properties in Stockland Bristol, Otterhampton, Steart and Stretcholt
  no warning on record since 2006 7.5 km
• Properties to the east along the A38 at Bristol Road Express Park, Woodlands Business Park, Dunball and Walpole. Properties to the west at Chilton Trinity, Perry Green, Northbrook Road in Cannington, Estuary Park, Brookside Road and Riverside in Combwich
  no warning on record since 2006 7.9 km
• Low lying land west of the M5 to the coast, including Bridgwater and Chilton Trinity
  3 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Feb 2026 8.0 km

Recorded floods near Burnham-on-Sea

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

• 9 Jan 2014 — Flood Extents_Winter 2013 to 2014 Main river
• 9 Jan 2014 — Steart Marshes_Winter 2013 to 2014 Ordinary watercourse
• 20 Nov 2012 — Nov 2012 Floods Main river
• 26 Mar 2009 — North Wessex Brue Parrett Yeo 2009 Main river
• 26 Feb 1990 — EA112_Coastal_Steart Sea
• 13 Dec 1981 — EA112_Coastal_Burnham_on_Sea_1981 Sea
• 13 Dec 1981 — EA112_Coastal_Alstone_1981 Sea
• 13 Dec 1981 — EA112_Coastal_West_Huntspill_1981 Sea
• 13 Dec 1981 — EA112_Parret_Tidal_Steart, Stockland_Combwich Sea
• 13 Dec 1981 — EA112_Coastal_Tidal_Stretcholt_1981 Sea
• 9 Jan 1936 — EA112_Coastal_Burnham_on_Sea_1936 Sea

Rainfall near Burnham-on-Sea

Burnham-on-Sea gets about 765 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month November, 85 mm; driest March, 51 mm). That is 34% drier than the UK as a whole, which averages 1,163 mm a year. Source: Met Office HadUK-Grid 1991–2020 (5 km grid), 2.4 km from the place centre.

The nearest rain gauge, Rainfall station (8.4 km away), recorded 12.9 mm in the last 24 hours and 68.8 mm in the last 7 days (latest reading 4 h ago).

At-risk postcodes in Burnham-on-Sea

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

High likelihood (7)

Medium likelihood (5)

Low likelihood (322)

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.