Does Canvey Island flood?

What the Environment Agency's rivers-and-sea flood-risk data says about Canvey Island

Ordnance Survey places 879 postcodes in Canvey Island 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 20,826 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 Canvey Island

Environment Agency gauges within 10 km of Canvey Island watch Thames Tideway.

• Southend Tidal
  Thames Tideway · 9.3 km away -2.20 mAOD
  rises and falls with the tide · 35 min ago

Distances are from the middle of Canvey Island'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 Canvey Island

11 Environment Agency flood warning areas lie within 10 km of Canvey Island. The EA has issued 156 flood warnings and alerts for them since 2006, most recently on 26 Oct 2026.

• Canvey Island south of the A130, Long Road
  no warning on record since 2006 0.6 km
• The Essex coast at Canvey Island to South Benfleet, and Wat Tyler Country Park and surrounding marshland
  no warning on record since 2006 2.3 km
• Leigh-on-Sea frontage including the High Street, Chalkwell to Hadleigh marshes and Two Tree Island
  1 warning or alert since 2006, latest Jan 2017 2.3 km
• The Essex coast from Leigh-on-Sea, to and including, Hadleigh Marshes, and Two Tree Island
  16 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Apr 2024 2.3 km
• Canvey Island north of the A130, Long Road
  no warning on record since 2006 3.3 km
• Shellhaven to Tilbury, including Mucking and Linford
  no warning on record since 2006 7.0 km
• Southend seafront from the Pier along the Western and Chalkwell Esplanades to Chalkwell
  1 warning or alert since 2006, latest Jan 2017 7.3 km
• Areas at risk of tidal flooding in the North Kent Marshes between Shorne Marsh and Allhallows, including Lower Higham and Cliffe
  no warning on record since 2006 7.8 km
• The Eastwood Brook from downstream of Rayleigh Weir and the Prittlewell Brook, to Southend Airport
  8 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Sep 2024 8.2 km
• The River Roach, Prittle Brook and Eastwood Brook at Southend
  41 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Jun 2025 8.3 km
• Areas at risk of tidal flooding from Dartford to Allhallows, including Crayford, Greenhithe, Northfleet, Gravesend and the North Kent Marshes
  89 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Oct 2026 8.9 km

Recorded floods near Canvey Island

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

• 11 Jan 1978 — 073DAE910_JAN1978_GrainMarshes_Allhallows Sea
• 11 Jan 1978 — 073DAE900_JAN1978_DartfordCreek_EgyptBay Sea
• 12 Jan 1968 — 1968 September Flood Outline Main river
• 1 Jun 1958 — 1958 Flood Outline Other
• 1 Feb 1953 — 07301E900/C100_FEB1953_Isle of Grain Sea
• 31 Jan 1953 — 1953 Coast Flood Outline Essex Sea

Rainfall near Canvey Island

Canvey Island gets about 534 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month October, 61 mm; driest March, 32 mm). That is 54% 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 (1.2 km away), recorded 1.3 mm in the last 24 hours and 26.6 mm in the last 7 days (latest reading 35 min ago).

At-risk postcodes in Canvey Island

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

High likelihood (10)

Medium likelihood (1)

Low likelihood (2)

Very low likelihood (866)

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.