Does Great Harwood flood?

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

Ordnance Survey places 28 postcodes in Great Harwood 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 273 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 Great Harwood

Environment Agency gauges within 10 km of Great Harwood watch River Calder, River Hyndburn, River Blakewater, River Ribble, Shaw Brook Tributary, Sabden Brook, River Hodder, River Darwen.

• Whalley Weir Structure
  River Calder · 3.7 km away 0.38 m
  controlled by a sluice or weir · 33 min ago
• Milnshaw
  River Hyndburn · 4.2 km away 0.25 m
  normal range · steady · 33 min ago
• Gorse Street
  River Blakewater · 5.1 km away 0.04 m
  normal range · steady · 33 min ago
• Padiham Town Centre
  River Calder · 6.0 km away 0.28 m
  normal range · steady · 33 min ago
• New Jumbles Rock
  River Ribble · 6.2 km away 0.38 m
  normal range · steady · 33 min ago
• Dryden Street
  Shaw Brook Tributary · 6.4 km away 0.17 m
  normal range · steady · 33 min ago
• Sabden Bridge
  Sabden Brook · 6.7 km away 0.20 m
  below normal · steady · 33 min ago
• Henthorn
  River Ribble · 6.9 km away 0.48 m
  normal range · steady · 33 min ago
• Harrison Street
  River Blakewater · 7.4 km away 0.41 m
  normal range · steady · 33 min ago
• Hodder Place
  River Hodder · 8.2 km away 0.44 m
  normal range · steady · 33 min ago
• Blackburn Waterfall
  River Darwen · 8.3 km away 0.46 m
  normal range · steady · 33 min ago
• Ewood
  River Darwen · 8.4 km away 0.32 m
  normal range · steady · 33 min ago

Distances are from the middle of Great Harwood'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 Great Harwood

28 Environment Agency flood warning areas lie within 10 km of Great Harwood. The EA has issued 133 flood warnings and alerts for them since 2006, most recently on 8 Dec 2025.

• Rivers Calder, Brun, Don and Pendlewater, from Laneshaw Bridge to the river Ribble including Trawden, Burnley, Nelson, Colne, Accrington and Whalley
  70 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Dec 2025 2.4 km
• Hole House Farm and properties on Calder Vale
  9 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Dec 2024 3.5 km
• King Street north of Accrington Road
  3 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Feb 2020 3.9 km
• King Street south of Accrington Road, Princess St, Queen St, and in the vicinity of the Abbey, Judge Walmsley Mill, and Hackings Caravan Park
  9 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Dec 2024 4.3 km
• River Hyndburn, Woodnook & Broad Oak Water, Antley Syke, Pleck, Hynburn, Tinker, Lottice and Whiteash Brooks in Accrington and Oswaldtwistle. Comprising Dunnyshop, Baxenden, Lower Fold, Peel Bank, Barnfield and Little Moor End
  4 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Sep 2025 4.4 km
• The business park at Mead Way
  1 warning or alert since 2006, latest Dec 2015 5.0 km
• Properties at risk of flooding from the River Blakewater and Knuzden Brook in the Whitebirk Drive, Blakewater Road, Greenbank Road, Gorse Street, Gladstone Street and Stanley Street areas of Blackburn 5.1 km
• Properties in the vicinity of Bear Street, Shakespeare Street, Palmerston Street, Thompson Street and Greenbridge Mill
  4 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Feb 2020 6.1 km
• Properties in the vicinity of Printers Fold, Shakespeare Street, Hathaway Hold, Palmerston Street and Stockbridge Mill
  1 warning or alert since 2006, latest Dec 2015 6.2 km
• In the vicinity of Wyre Street, Burnley Road, Park Road, Station Road, Waterside Mews, and St James Place
  1 warning or alert since 2006, latest Dec 2015 6.2 km
• Council offices and in the vicinity of Lune St, Ribble St and Burnley Rd.
  3 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Feb 2020 6.3 km
• Sabden Brook and Badger Well Water at Sabden, Stubbins Vale Caravan Park, Wesley Street and Whalley Road areas 6.4 km

Recorded floods near Great Harwood

Floods whose mapped extent (EA Recorded Flood Outlines) reached within ~5 km of Great Harwood, most recent first. Absence of a record does not mean a place has never flooded. See them on the map →

• 31 Dec 2024 — 31st December 2024 Ordinary watercourse
• 16 Jun 2020 — Whalley New Road
• 16 Jun 2020 — Back King Street Drainage
• 9 Feb 2020 — Bold Street Main river
• 9 Feb 2020 — Broad Oak Road Main river
• 9 Feb 2020 — Mount Street. Main river
• 9 Feb 2020 — Dean Lane
• 9 Feb 2020 — Water Street
• 9 Feb 2020 — Waverly Road
• 9 Feb 2020 — Billington and Whalley Main river
• 22 Nov 2017 — Black Water Street Drainage
• 22 Nov 2017 — Exchange Street

…and 21 earlier recorded floods on the map.

Rainfall near Great Harwood

The nearest rain gauge, Rainfall station (1.4 km away), recorded 0.4 mm in the last 24 hours and 39.6 mm in the last 7 days (latest reading 33 min ago).

At-risk postcodes in Great Harwood

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

Medium likelihood (7)

Low likelihood (21)

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.