Does Eastbourne flood?

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

Ordnance Survey places 731 postcodes in Eastbourne 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 12,213 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 Eastbourne

Environment Agency gauges within 10 km of Eastbourne watch Salt Haven.

• Eastbourne Harbour Tidal
  Tide · 1.7 km away -2.97 mAOD
  rises and falls with the tide · 26 min ago
• Pevensey Tidal
  Salt Haven · 4.8 km away -1.65 mAOD
  rises and falls with the tide · 26 min ago

Distances are from the middle of Eastbourne'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 Eastbourne

12 Environment Agency flood warning areas lie within 10 km of Eastbourne. The EA has issued 115 flood warnings and alerts for them since 2006, most recently on 25 Oct 2026.

• Areas of Eastbourne at risk from a high tide including areas of Roselands, Willingdon Levels, areas near Shinewater Lake, West Langley Levels and Sovereign Harbour and Langney Village
  no warning on record since 2006 0.7 km
• Areas of Eastbourne at risk from a high tide including areas of Roselands, Willingdon Levels, areas near Shinewater Lake, West Langley Levels and Sovereign Harbour and Langney Village
  1 warning or alert since 2006, latest Nov 2013 0.7 km
• Coastal areas of Eastbourne including Marine Parade, Royal Parade, Sovereign Park and the Martello Tower
  no warning on record since 2006 1.0 km
• Coastal areas of Eastbourne including Marine Parade, Royal Parade, Sovereign Park and the Martello Tower
  1 warning or alert since 2006, latest Oct 2013 1.0 km
• Langney Haven at Langney, Willingdon and Eastbourne including Shinewater Park
  2 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Nov 2023 1.7 km
• Coastal areas of Pevensey seafront between Sovereign Harbour and Beach including Norman Road Pevensey, The Promenade Pevensey, The Parade Pevensey, Beachlands, Normans Bay and the Cooden Beach Hotel
  4 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Jan 2026 4.7 km
• Coastal areas of Pevensey seafront between Sovereign Harbour and Cooden Beach including Norman Road Pevensey, The Promenade Pevensey, The Parade Pevensey, Beachlands, Normans Bay and the Cooden Beach Hotel
  64 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Oct 2026 4.7 km
• Polegate Street and Wannock Mill Streams through Polegate and Wannock
  no warning on record since 2006 5.4 km
• Polegate Brook Street and Wannock Mill Streams
  10 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Aug 2026 5.4 km
• Areas of Pevensey at risk from a high tide including the Crumbles, East Langley Levels, Mountney Bridge, Pevensey Bay, Pevensey, Manxey, Horse Eye and Hooe Levels
  no warning on record since 2006 6.4 km
• Areas of Pevensey at risk from a high tide including the Crumbles, East Langley Levels, Mountney Bridge, Pevensey Bay, Pevensey, Manxey, Horse Eye and Hooe Levels
  1 warning or alert since 2006, latest Nov 2013 6.4 km
• Willingdon, Eastbourne and Mountney Levels and their tributaries
  32 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Feb 2026 6.4 km

Recorded floods near Eastbourne

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

• 5 Dec 2009 — 07418K302FEO_DEC2009_Pevensey_Haven Main river
• 5 Dec 2009 — 07418K205FEO_DEC2009_Wallers_Haven Main river
• 5 Dec 2009 — 07418K402FEO_DEC2009_Polegate_Willingdon Main river
• 22 Jan 2009 — 07420K502FEO_Jan2009_Upper Cuckmere Main river
• 7 Mar 1995 — 07418K414FEO_MAR1995_Polegate Drainage
• 7 Mar 1995 — 07418K413FEO_MAR1995_Lower_Willingdon Drainage
• 7 Mar 1995 — 07418K404FEO_MAR1995_Polegate_And_Wannock Drainage
• 3 Sep 1987 — 07418K408FEO_Sep1987_Westham Main river
• 7 Jul 1980 — 07418K421FEO_JUL1980_LottbridgeSewer Other
• 7 Jul 1980 — 07418NoRefFEO_JUL1980_Eastbourne Other
• 7 Jul 1980 — 07418K414FEO_JUL1980_Polegate Sewer
• 23 Nov 1974 — 07418K418FEO_NOV1974_Langney Ordinary watercourse

…and 1 earlier recorded flood on the map.

Rainfall near Eastbourne

Eastbourne gets about 824 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month November, 105 mm; driest June, 46 mm). That is 29% 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 (4.9 km away), recorded 1.9 mm in the last 24 hours and 80.3 mm in the last 7 days (latest reading 26 min ago).

At-risk postcodes in Eastbourne

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

High likelihood (36)

Medium likelihood (8)

Low likelihood (19)

Very low likelihood (668)

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.