Does Herne Bay flood?

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

Ordnance Survey places 92 postcodes in Herne Bay 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 1,438 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 Herne Bay

Environment Agency gauges within 10 km of Herne Bay watch West Brook, Swalecliffe Brook, Great Stour.

• Whitstable Road
  West Brook · 1.9 km away 3.57 mAOD
  above typical high · 28 min ago
• Grasmere Road
  Swalecliffe Brook · 4.5 km away 8.23 mAOD
  normal range · steady · 28 min ago
• GroveFerry
  Great Stour · 7.9 km away 1.92 mAOD
  normal range · falling · 28 min ago
• Fordwich River Level
  Great Stour · 8.1 km away 2.06 mAOD
  normal range · just past its peak · 28 min ago
• Vauxhall Bridge
  Great Stour · 8.1 km away 0.46 m
  normal range · 28 min ago

Distances are from the middle of Herne Bay'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 Herne Bay

13 Environment Agency flood warning areas lie within 10 km of Herne Bay. The EA has issued 140 flood warnings and alerts for them since 2006, most recently on 26 Oct 2026.

• Plenty Brook at Herne Bay including Eddington
  no warning on record since 2006 0.6 km
• West Brook, from Frogs Island Farm to Hampton
  5 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Jan 2021 1.8 km
• Areas at risk of coastal flooding from Whitstable to Herne Bay, including Tankerton, Swalecliffe, Studd Hill and Hampton
  no warning on record since 2006 3.4 km
• Plenty Brook from Eddington to the sea, including Herne Bay, the Swalecliffe Brook from near Court Lees to the sea, including Chestfield and Swalecliffe and the West Brook from the railway line to the sea including Studd Hill and Hampton
  45 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Jan 2026 5.2 km
• Swalecliffe Brook, between Honey Hill and Swalecliffe
  5 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Jan 2021 5.4 km
• Areas at risk of coastal flooding from Whitstable to Margate, including Herne Bay, Reculver, Marshside, Saint Nicholas at Wade, Birchington and Westgate-on-Sea
  73 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Oct 2026 6.2 km
• Gorrell Stream at Whitstable
  no warning on record since 2006 6.4 km
• Areas at risk of coastal flooding around Chislet Marshes and Wade Marsh, including Marshside, Sarre and Saint Nicholas at Wade
  no warning on record since 2006 7.5 km
• Areas at risk of coastal flooding from Reculver to Birchington, including Plumpudding Island
  no warning on record since 2006 7.6 km
• Great Stour at Fordwich and Sturry
  no warning on record since 2006 8.0 km
• River Stour at Grove Ferry and Plucks Gutter
  11 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Feb 2024 8.2 km
• Great Stour at Canterbury
  no warning on record since 2006 9.4 km

Recorded floods near Herne Bay

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

• 11 Feb 2001 — 07309A100FEO_Lower_Stour Main river
• 5 Nov 2000 — 07309B700_NOV2000_Stour_Swalecliffe Main river
• 5 Nov 2000 — 07309A100_NOV2000_Lower_Stour Main river
• 1 Sep 1968 — 07308B700_SEPT1968_Swalecliffe Brook_Whitstable Other
• 1 Apr 1967 — 07308B700_APR1967_Swalecliffe Brook_Whitstable Other
• 1 Feb 1953 — 07308B900_FEB1953_North Sea_Herne Bay Sea
• 1 Feb 1953 — 07308B700_FEB1953_Swalecliffe Brook_Whitstable Sea
• 1 Feb 1953 — 07309A600A620_FEB1953_Wantsum Sea

Rainfall near Herne Bay

Herne Bay gets about 581 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month November, 67 mm; driest April, 35 mm). That is 50% drier than the UK as a whole, which averages 1,163 mm a year. Source: Met Office HadUK-Grid 1991–2020 (5 km grid), 0.7 km from the place centre.

The nearest rain gauge, Rainfall station (3.9 km away), recorded 2.0 mm in the last 24 hours and 36.0 mm in the last 7 days (latest reading 28 min ago).

At-risk postcodes in Herne Bay

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

High likelihood (66)

Medium likelihood (1)

Low likelihood (16)

Very low likelihood (9)

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.