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Littlehampton Flooding

West Sussex • Live river level monitoring on River Arun
1 monitoring station
1 river
8 warning areas
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Does Littlehampton flood? 129 postcodes in Littlehampton are in the Environment Agency's rivers-and-sea flood-risk data (14 High, 1 Medium likelihood) — the breakdown is further down this page.

Flood risk in Littlehampton today: Normal

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

Updated 2026-10-10 19:15:05 UTC · Official GOV.UK warnings · Flood preparation & help guide

About Littlehampton
Littlehampton
Town in West Sussex, England

Littlehampton is a town, seaside resort and civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England. It lies on the English Channel on the eastern bank of the mouth of the River Arun. It is 52 miles (84 km) south south-west of London, 19 miles (31 km) west of Brighton and 10 miles (16 km) east of 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 Littlehampton’s gauges and flood maps loads as you reach it.
Recent Flood Events
29 Sep 2026 14:14 Flood Alert
Tidal areas of Shoreham Harbour
28 Sep 2026 16:48 Flood Alert
Tidal areas of Shoreham Harbour
27 Sep 2026 18:22 Flood Alert
Tidal areas of Shoreham Harbour
27 Aug 2026 08:44 Flood Alert
Aldingbourne and Barnham Rifes
27 Aug 2026 08:37 Flood Alert
Scrase Bridge and West Common Streams
26 Aug 2026 15:43 Flood Alert
Aldingbourne and Barnham Rifes

Does Littlehampton flood?

Ordnance Survey places 129 postcodes in Littlehampton 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 2,438 properties in the EA dataset's likelihood bands.

EA likelihood bandPostcodes (worst band)Properties in the EA datasetof which homes
High14200124
Medium16966
Low821,5471,102
Very low32622485
All bands1292,4381,777

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 100 highest-likelihood of the 129 at-risk postcodes in Littlehampton

High likelihood (14)

Medium likelihood (1)

Low likelihood (82)

Very low likelihood (32)

…and 29 more at-risk postcodes, listed on the district pages below.

Postcode districts

Places nearby with a page of their own

Wick · Rustington · Arundel · West Barnham · Bognor Regis · Westergate · Worthing

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 Littlehampton

The nearest watercourse on the river map is the River Arun (tidal here), about 40 m from the middle of Littlehampton's gauges.

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 the River Arun nearest the middle of Littlehampton'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 Littlehampton

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

Monitoring Stations

The River Arun is monitored by 1 station (Littlehampton). 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 Littlehampton. When the EA issues a flood warning for any of these areas, it will appear on this page. These include: Tidal areas of Littlehampton East Bank including Caffyn's Field, and Riverside Industrial Estate; Tidal areas of Littlehampton East Bank from the East pier to the A259; Tidal areas of Littlehampton Ropewalk; Rope Walk, Ferry and Bridge Road on the west banks of the lower tidal River Arun at Littlehampton.

Sewage Discharge Monitoring

There are 8 storm overflows within 5km of Littlehampton. None of the 7 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 Littlehampton, 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 Littlehampton

Littlehampton gets about 777 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month November, 93 mm; driest May, 45 mm). That is 33% 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), 0.6 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 Littlehampton

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 →

  • 2020-02-01 — 2020 Storm Ciara Climping Breach (Sea)
  • 2020-02-01 — 2020 Storm Ciara Climping Breach (Sea)
  • 2020-02-01 — 2020 Storm Ciara Climping Breach (Sea)
  • 2014-03-05 — East Hampshire Winter 13/14 event (Other)
  • 2013-12-01 — Arun Valley 2013/14 (Main river)
  • 1997-12-18 — CLIMPING 1997 (Other)
  • 1987-11-01 — YAPTON 1987 (Main river)
  • 1985-04-07 — LITTLEHAMPTON 1985 (Other)
  • 1983-02-02 — LITTLEHAMPTON 1983 (Main river)
  • 1980-09-20 — ANGMERING 1980 (Drainage)
  • 1975-01-28 — CLIMPING 1975 (Other)
  • 1974-11-23 — YAPTON 1974 (Other)

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

Frequently asked questions

Is there flooding in Littlehampton today?

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

Which rivers affect Littlehampton?

Littlehampton has river level monitoring on River Arun — 1 monitoring station in total.

How do I check official flood warnings for Littlehampton?

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 Littlehampton flooded before?

Yes — the Environment Agency's Recorded Flood Outlines dataset shows 4 recorded flood extents around the town centre since 1703, most recently in 2020. 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 →