Does Paignton flood?

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

Ordnance Survey places 134 postcodes in Paignton 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 1,821 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 Paignton

Environment Agency gauges within 10 km of Paignton watch Occombe Brook, Clennon Valley Watercourse, Aller Brook, Higher Brixham Watercourse.

• Occombe Valley Road
  Occombe Brook · 1.7 km away 0.05 m
  43 min ago
• Paignton Kings Ash Road
  Clennon Valley Watercourse · 2.0 km away 0.16 m
  normal range · 1 h ago
• Torquay Outer Tidal
  Tide · 3.4 km away 2.67 mAOD
  rises and falls with the tide · 28 min ago
• Kingskerswell
  Aller Brook · 5.2 km away 0.41 m
  normal range · 1 h ago
• Higher Brixham Horsepool Street
  Higher Brixham Watercourse · 6.7 km away 0.07 m
  normal range · steady · 28 min ago
• Totnes Tidal
  Tide · 8.4 km away 2.70 mAOD
  rises and falls with the tide · 28 min ago
• Dartmouth Tidal
  Tide · 9.9 km away 2.55 mAOD
  rises and falls with the tide · 28 min ago

Distances are from the middle of Paignton'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 Paignton

6 Environment Agency flood warning areas lie within 10 km of Paignton. The EA has issued 30 flood warnings and alerts for them since 2006, most recently on 3 Feb 2026.

• Low-lying parts of Paignton, including Paignton Harbour, Paignton Green, Esplanade Road, Beach Road, Queen's Park, Torbay Road and Queens Road areas
  4 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Jan 2026 0.5 km
• Exposed coastal areas within Brixham, Goodrington, Preston, Torquay including Goodrington Park, Eastern Esplanade, Preston Sands, Torre Abbey and Torquay Harbour
  2 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Jan 2026 5.9 km
• Low lying properties and roads in Totnes, including Broad Marsh Industrial Estate, Coronation Road, New Walk, Warland, Ticklemore Street, The Plains and Steamer Quay areas
  no warning on record since 2006 8.5 km
• Low-lying parts of the Dart Estuary including Bayards Cove, Kingswear, Dittisham, Stoke Gabriel, Galmpton Creek, Tuckenhay and Bow
  8 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Feb 2026 9.0 km
• Low lying parts of Dartmouth, including Bayards Cove, The Quay, North and South Embankments, Mayors Avenue, Duke Street and Coronation Park areas
  no warning on record since 2006 9.7 km
• riverside locations downstream of Harbertonford, including Crowdy Mill, Beenleigh, Bow, Tuckenhay and the A381
  16 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Jan 2026 9.7 km

Recorded floods near Paignton

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

• 12 Feb 2014 — Port Bridge, Stoke Gabriel Feb 2014 Flood Main river
• 5 Feb 2014 — Paignton Tidal Flood Feb 2014 Sea
• 5 Feb 2014 — Paignton Promenade/Marine Parade Sea
• 5 Jan 2014 — Preston Sands Tidal Flood Jan 2014 Sea
• 27 Oct 2004 — Torquay Tidal Flood 2004 Sea

Rainfall near Paignton

Paignton gets about 1,082 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month January, 138 mm; driest July, 57 mm). That is close to the UK as a whole, which averages 1,163 mm a year. Source: Met Office HadUK-Grid 1991–2020 (5 km grid), 1.9 km from the place centre.

The nearest rain gauge, Rainfall station (4.1 km away), recorded 8.1 mm in the last 24 hours and 74.5 mm in the last 7 days (latest reading 29 min ago).

At-risk postcodes in Paignton

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

High likelihood (71)

Medium likelihood (9)

Low likelihood (35)

Very low likelihood (19)

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.