Does Erith flood?

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

Ordnance Survey places 52 postcodes in Erith 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 934 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 Erith

Environment Agency gauges within 10 km of Erith watch River Cray, Shuttle Tributary Cray, River Beam, River Darent, Thames Tideway, River Ingrebourne.

• Crayford
  River Cray · 3.9 km away 0.23 m
  normal range · 35 min ago
• Hall Place
  River Cray · 4.5 km away 0.03 m
  normal range · 35 min ago
• Lamorbey Park
  Shuttle Tributary Cray · 6.4 km away Sensor under review
  reading not shown
• Hornchurch_Bretons Farm
  River Beam · 6.9 km away 0.14 m
  normal range · 35 min ago
• Hawley
  River Darent · 7.9 km away 0.09 m
  normal range · steady · 35 min ago
• Silvertown Tidal
  Thames Tideway · 8.3 km away -2.10 mAOD
  rises and falls with the tide · 35 min ago
• Gaynes Park Structure
  River Ingrebourne · 8.8 km away 0.17 m
  controlled by a sluice or weir · 35 min ago

Distances are from the middle of Erith'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 Erith

26 Environment Agency flood warning areas lie within 10 km of Erith. The EA has issued 225 flood warnings and alerts for them since 2006, most recently on 24 Oct 2026.

• River Thames from Dartford Creek to Erith High Street East including the Darent Industrial Estate, Slade Green and the Church Industrial Estate
  no warning on record since 2006 2.2 km
• River Thames riverside from Dartford Creek and The Mardyke to the Thames Barrier
  27 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Apr 2024 2.6 km
• River Thames from The Mardyke to Barking Creek including Rainham Marshes, South Hornchurch, Ford Motor Works, Creekmouth, the New England Estate and South Barking
  no warning on record since 2006 3.0 km
• The River Thames from Erith High Street to Woolwich Arsenal including Erith Marshes, Thamesmead, Abbey Wood, North Plumstead and the Woolwich Arsenal site.
  no warning on record since 2006 3.4 km
• Areas at risk of tidal flooding in Dartford
  no warning on record since 2006 4.1 km
• River Thames including areas in the boroughs of Bexley and Greenwich
  2 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Feb 2008 4.4 km
• The River Beam at Dagenham including Rainham
  no warning on record since 2006 4.4 km
• River Darent in Hawley, the Dartford Trade Park, Brooklands, Dartford Town Centre, Dartford and Crayford Marshes to the River Thames including Slade Green and the Darent Industrial Park
  3 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Feb 2014 4.7 km
• River Thames including areas in the boroughs of Havering, Barking and Dagenham, and Newham
  2 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Feb 2008 4.8 km
• Areas at risk of tidal flooding in Dartford, Crayford and Greenhithe
  no warning on record since 2006 4.9 km
• River Shuttle at Blackfen, Sidcup Golf Course, Lamorbey Park, Sidcup and Old Bexley to Hall Place
  2 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Jun 2016 5.5 km
• River Cray from St Mary's Cray to Crayford, including Hall Place and the River Shuttle from Blackfen through Sidcup to Old Bexley including Lamorbey Park
  59 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Jun 2026 5.7 km

Recorded floods near Erith

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

• 29 Jan 2021 — ea06JanuaryWinter2021
• 29 May 2018 — ea06MaySpring2018 Ordinary watercourse
• 23 Jun 2016 — ea06JuneSummer2016
• 31 Jan 2014 — ea06FebruaryWinter2014 Main river
• 14 Feb 2007 — 06FebruaryWinter2007 Main river
• 23 Dec 2002 — 06JanuaryNewYear2003 Main river
• 1 Jan 2000 — 06DecemberWinter2000 Main river
• 27 Aug 1977 — 07337E300_AUG1977_River Cray_Old Bexley/St Mary's Main river
• 1 Jan 1974 — 06NovemberAutumn1974 Main river
• 14 Sep 1968 — 07337E200_SEPT1968_Darent_Dartford Main river
• 14 Sep 1968 — 07337E200_SEPT1968_Cray_Dartford Main river
• 12 Jan 1968 — 1968 September Flood Outline Main river

…and 7 earlier recorded floods on the map.

Rainfall near Erith

Erith gets about 573 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month October, 61 mm; driest March, 34 mm). That is 51% drier than the UK as a whole, which averages 1,163 mm a year. Source: Met Office HadUK-Grid 1991–2020 (5 km grid), 2.0 km from the place centre.

At-risk postcodes in Erith

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

High likelihood (3)

Medium likelihood (3)

Low likelihood (7)

Very low likelihood (39)

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.