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Dover Flooding

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

Does Dover flood? 117 postcodes in Dover are in the Environment Agency's rivers-and-sea flood-risk data (44 High, 19 Medium likelihood) — the breakdown is further down this page.

Flood risk in Dover today: Normal

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

Updated 2026-10-10 04:44:35 UTC · Official GOV.UK warnings · Flood preparation & help guide

About Dover
Dover
Town and port in Kent, England

Dover is a town, major ferry port and civil parish in Kent, England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at 33 kilometres (21 mi) from Cap Gris-Nez in France. It lies southeast of Canterbury and east of Maidstone. The town is the administrative centre of the Dover District and home of the Port of Dover. In 2024 it had an estimated population of 44,209.

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 Dover’s gauges and flood maps loads as you reach it.
Recent Flood Events
2 Jun 2026 19:45 Flood Alert
Shuttle and Cray
2 Jun 2026 16:08 Flood Alert
Shuttle and Cray
2 Jun 2026 06:10 Flood Alert
Shuttle and Cray
10 Apr 2026 13:22 Flood Alert
Groundwater flooding in East Kent
2 Apr 2026 14:59 Flood Alert
Groundwater flooding in East Kent
27 Mar 2026 14:09 Flood Alert
Groundwater flooding in East Kent

Does Dover flood?

Ordnance Survey places 117 postcodes in Dover 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 1,240 properties in the EA dataset's likelihood bands.

EA likelihood bandPostcodes (worst band)Properties in the EA datasetof which homes
High4417791
Medium19319240
Low54743624
Very low010
All bands1171,240955

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 100 highest-likelihood of the 117 at-risk postcodes in Dover

High likelihood (44)

Medium likelihood (19)

Low likelihood (54)

…and 17 more at-risk postcodes, listed on the district pages below.

Postcode districts

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 Dover

The nearest watercourse on the river map is the River Dour, about 320 m from the middle of Dover's gauges. It flows on to the sea.

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 Dour nearest the middle of Dover'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 Dover

Dover is monitored by 2 Environment Agency river level stations on the River Dour, the Tide, in Kent. Water levels are updated every 15 minutes, providing real-time flood monitoring for the area.

Monitoring Stations

The River Dour is monitored by 1 station (Crabble Mill). The Tide is monitored by 1 station (Dover). Each station records water levels continuously, with data synced to FloodRadar every 5 minutes.

Flood Warning Areas

There are 2 Environment Agency flood warning areas within 10km of Dover. When the EA issues a flood warning for any of these areas, it will appear on this page. These include: Areas at risk of coastal flooding from St Margaret's at Cliffe to Sandgate, including Dover and Folkestone; Areas at risk of coastal flooding from St Margaret's at Cliffe to Sandgate, including Dover and Folkestone.

Sewage Discharge Monitoring

There are 5 storm overflows within 5km of Dover. None of the 3 with a reporting monitor are currently discharging (2 have no live status right now). Enable "Sewage" on the map above to see their locations.

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

What To Do During A Flood

If flooding is forecast in Dover, 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 Dover

Dover gets about 863 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month October, 103 mm; driest March, 50 mm). That is 26% 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), 1.5 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 Dover

No recorded flood outline within ~5 km of the Dover town centre means no flood was mapped here, which is not evidence none happened: the Environment Agency mapped only some floods, mapping effort rose sharply after about 2000, and surface-water flooding is largely absent from this record. Open the recorded-floods map →

Frequently asked questions

Is there flooding in Dover today?

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

Which rivers affect Dover?

Dover has river level monitoring on River Dour, Tide — 2 monitoring stations in total.

How do I check official flood warnings for Dover?

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 Dover flooded before?

No recorded flood outline is mapped around the Dover town centre means no flood was mapped here, which is not evidence none happened: the Environment Agency mapped only some floods, mapping effort rose sharply after about 2000, and surface-water flooding is largely absent from this record. FloodRadar has separately logged 10 flood warnings or alerts for the Kent area since February 2026. 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 →