Home › Hampshire › Emsworth

Emsworth Flooding

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

Does Emsworth flood? 56 postcodes in Emsworth are in the Environment Agency's rivers-and-sea flood-risk data (40 High, 8 Medium likelihood) — the breakdown is further down this page.

Flood risk in Emsworth today: Normal

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

Updated 2026-10-09 18:45:55 UTC · Official GOV.UK warnings · Flood preparation & help guide

About Emsworth
Emsworth
Coastal town in Hampshire, England

Emsworth is a town in the Borough of Havant in the county of Hampshire, on the south coast of England near the border with West Sussex. It lies at the north end of an arm of Chichester Harbour, a large and shallow inlet from the English Channel, and is equidistant between Portsmouth and Chichester.

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 Emsworth’s gauges and flood maps loads as you reach it.
Recent Flood Events
31 Aug 2026 08:59 Flood Alert
Beaulieu estuary
30 Aug 2026 17:05 Flood Alert
Beaulieu estuary
22 Apr 2026 12:09 Flood Alert
Groundwater flooding in the Alton area
21 Apr 2026 10:09 Flood Alert
Groundwater flooding in the Alton area
21 Apr 2026 09:44 Flood Alert
Groundwater flooding in the Alton area
15 Apr 2026 10:08 Flood Alert
Groundwater flooding in the Salisbury Plain area

Does Emsworth flood?

Ordnance Survey places 56 postcodes in Emsworth 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 371 properties in the EA dataset's likelihood bands.

EA likelihood bandPostcodes (worst band)Properties in the EA datasetof which homes
High40175143
Medium810464
Low88658
Very low066
All bands56371271

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 56 at-risk postcodes in Emsworth, worst band first

High likelihood (40)

Medium likelihood (8)

Low likelihood (8)

Postcode districts

Places nearby with a page of their own

South Hayling · Waterlooville · Portsmouth · East Wittering

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 Emsworth

The nearest watercourse on the river map is West Brook, about 10 m from the middle of Emsworth's gauges. It flows into Fowley Rithe about 780 m downstream.

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 West Brook nearest the middle of Emsworth'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 Emsworth

Emsworth is monitored by 1 Environment Agency river level station on the West Brook, in Hampshire. Water levels are updated every 15 minutes, providing real-time flood monitoring for the area.

Monitoring Stations

The West Brook is monitored by 1 station (Emsworth). Each station records water levels continuously, with data synced to FloodRadar every 5 minutes.

Flood Warning Areas

There are 8 Environment Agency flood warning areas within 10km of Emsworth. When the EA issues a flood warning for any of these areas, it will appear on this page. These include: West Brook at Emsworth including Bridge Road, Victoria Road and St James Road; The West Brook at Bridge Road, Emsworth; Coastal area from Langstone to Emsworth Harbour; Tidal areas at Langstone and Emsworth.

Sewage Discharge Monitoring

There are 10 storm overflows within 5km of Emsworth. None of the 9 with a reporting monitor are currently discharging (1 has no live status right now). Enable "Sewage" on the map above to see their locations.

6 of them, nearest first, with their own page of live status and past discharges:

What To Do During A Flood

If flooding is forecast in Emsworth, 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 Emsworth

Emsworth gets about 834 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month November, 99 mm; driest May, 46 mm). That is 28% 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), 2.6 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 Emsworth

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 →

  • 2014-03-05 — East Hampshire Aerial Photography Winter 13/14 (Other)
  • 2014-03-05 — East Hampshire Winter 13/14 (Other)
  • 2013-12-31 — Lumley Road, Emsworth, Winter 13/14 (Main river)
  • 2010-11-09 — West Brook _Bridge Road (Main river)
  • 2008-03-10 — 10/03/2008 Langstone High Street (Sea)
  • 2008-03-10 — 10/03/2008 Hermitage Bridge (Sea)
  • 2008-03-10 — 10/03/2008 Northney (Sea)
  • 2002-12-01 — Winter 2002/03gw_Lavant Stream_Aerial(24) (Ephemeral watercourse)
  • 2002-12-01 — Winter 2002/03gw_Lavant Stream_Aerial(78) (Ephemeral watercourse)
  • 2002-12-01 — Winter 2002/03gw_Lavant Stream_Aerial(10) (Ephemeral watercourse)
  • 2002-12-01 — Winter 2002/03gw_Lavant Stream_Aerial(80) (Ephemeral watercourse)
  • 2002-12-01 — Winter 2002/03gw_Lavant Stream_Aerial(77) (Ephemeral watercourse)

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

Frequently asked questions

Is there flooding in Emsworth today?

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

Which rivers affect Emsworth?

Emsworth has river level monitoring on West Brook — 1 monitoring station in total.

How do I check official flood warnings for Emsworth?

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 Emsworth flooded before?

Yes — the Environment Agency's Recorded Flood Outlines dataset shows 7 recorded flood extents around the town centre since 1703, most recently in 2010. 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 →