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Debenham Flooding

Suffolk • Live river level monitoring on River Deben
1 monitoring station
1 river
1 warning area
🏠 Thinking of buying in Debenham? Get the detailed Property Flood-Risk Report for any Debenham postcode — official risk band, recorded floods since 1703, warning history, river behaviour and nearby storm overflows. £19 one-off, instant. Learn more →

Does Debenham flood? 25 postcodes in Debenham are in the Environment Agency's rivers-and-sea flood-risk data (17 High, 1 Medium likelihood) — the breakdown is further down this page.

Flood risk in Debenham today: Watch

Conditions are worth watching: the Environment Agency has a Flood Alert in force for The Suffolk and Essex coast from Felixstowe to Clacton including Orwell and Stour estuaries — flooding is possible on consecutive tides from 11pm on Friday 9th October through to 1am on Saturday 10th October. Flooding is possible — be prepared and keep an eye on updates.

Updated 2026-10-09 15:12:04 UTC · Official GOV.UK warnings · Flood preparation & help guide

About Debenham
Debenham
Village in Suffolk, England

Debenham is a village and civil parish located 11 miles (18 km) north of Ipswich in the Mid Suffolk district of Suffolk, England. The River Deben rises in the parish, and flows along a prolonged ford through the village.

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 Debenham’s gauges and flood maps loads as you reach it.
Recent Flood Events
9 Oct 2026 14:43 Flood Alert
The Suffolk coast from Lowestoft to Bawdsey
9 Oct 2026 14:38 Flood Alert
The Suffolk coast at Southwold
9 Oct 2026 14:21 Flood Alert
The Suffolk and Essex coast from Felixstowe to Clacton including Orwell and Stour estuaries
9 Oct 2026 14:10 Flood Alert
The tidal Deben estuary
8 Oct 2026 15:46 Flood Alert
The tidal River Waveney from Ellingham to Breydon Water
7 Oct 2026 15:16 Flood Alert
The tidal River Waveney from Ellingham to Breydon Water

Does Debenham flood?

Ordnance Survey places 25 postcodes in Debenham 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 143 properties in the EA dataset's likelihood bands.

EA likelihood bandPostcodes (worst band)Properties in the EA datasetof which homes
High176854
Medium11712
Low75849
Very low000
All bands25143115

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 25 at-risk postcodes in Debenham, worst band first

High likelihood (17)

Medium likelihood (1)

Low likelihood (7)

Postcode districts

Places nearby with a page of their own

Framlingham

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 Debenham

Two mapped watercourses are about the same distance from the middle of Debenham's gauges: the Gulls (about 10 m) and Giles's Hole (about 20 m), so this page cannot say which one is nearer to you.

Distances along the river are from the point on each watercourse nearest the middle of Debenham'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 Debenham

Debenham is monitored by 1 Environment Agency river level station on the River Deben, in Suffolk. Water levels are updated every 15 minutes, providing real-time flood monitoring for the area.

Monitoring Stations

The River Deben is monitored by 1 station (Debenham). Each station records water levels continuously, with data synced to FloodRadar every 5 minutes.

Flood Warning Areas

There is 1 Environment Agency flood warning area within 10km of Debenham. When the EA issues a flood warning for any of these areas, it will appear on this page. These include: The River Deben, from Debenham to Cretingham.

Sewage Discharge Monitoring

There is 1 storm overflow within 5km of Debenham. None of the 1 with a reporting monitor is currently discharging. Enable "Sewage" on the map above to see their locations.

It has its own page of live status and past discharges:

What To Do During A Flood

If flooding is forecast in Debenham, 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 Debenham

Debenham gets about 638 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month November, 69 mm; driest April, 38 mm). That is 45% drier than 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 Debenham

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 →

  • 2013-12-05 — 2013 Flood Outline (Sea)
  • 2009-01-09 — 2009 Flood Outline (Main river)
  • 1968-01-12 — 1968 September Flood Outline (Main river)
  • 1953-01-31 — 1953 Coast Flood Outline Suffolk (Sea)

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

Frequently asked questions

Is there flooding in Debenham today?

Current verdict: Watch. Conditions are worth watching: the Environment Agency has a Flood Alert in force for The Suffolk and Essex coast from Felixstowe to Clacton including Orwell and Stour estuaries — flooding is possible on consecutive tides from 11pm on Friday 9th October through to 1am on Saturday 10th October. Flooding is possible — be prepared and keep an eye on updates.

Which rivers affect Debenham?

Debenham has river level monitoring on River Deben — 1 monitoring station in total.

How do I check official flood warnings for Debenham?

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 Debenham 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 2013. 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 →