Does Plymouth flood?

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

Ordnance Survey places 314 postcodes in Plymouth 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 3,312 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 Plymouth

Environment Agency gauges within 10 km of Plymouth watch Long Brook, Tory Brook, River Plym, River Yealm.

• Plympton
  Long Brook · 3.6 km away 0.19 m
  normal range · steady · 32 min ago
• Plymouth Tidal
  Tide · 5.4 km away 2.56 mAOD
  rises and falls with the tide · 47 min ago
• Newnham Park
  Tory Brook · 5.6 km away 0.36 mASD
  normal range · steady · 32 min ago
• Carnwood
  River Plym · 6.2 km away 0.19 m
  normal range · steady · 32 min ago
• Puslinch
  River Yealm · 8.4 km away 0.22 m
  normal range · steady · 32 min ago

Distances are from the middle of Plymouth'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 Plymouth

10 Environment Agency flood warning areas lie within 10 km of Plymouth. The EA has issued 369 flood warnings and alerts for them since 2006, most recently on 18 Feb 2026.

• Plymouth Sound including Cawsand, Kingsand, Millbrook, The Hoe, and the Tidal Lynher, Tamar, Tavy, Plym and Yealm estuaries
  66 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Feb 2026 0.8 km
• Plymouth Sound including Cawsand, Kingsand, Millbrook, The Hoe, and the Tidal Lynher, Tamar, Tavy, Plym and Yealm estuaries
  23 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Feb 2026 1.1 km
• Plymouth Barbican including Sutton Harbour, Southside Street, Breton Street, Vauxhall Street, Sutton Road, Lockyers Quay and Tin Lane
  20 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Dec 2020 1.9 km
• River Plym at Marsh Mills including Coypool, Marsh Mills Retail Park, Sewage Treatment Works, Sainsburys, Sports Ground, the A38 and the Railway Line 2.4 km
• Long Brook (Plympton) at Plympton including St Maurice Road, Dark Street Lane, Priory Mill, Market Road, Linketty Lane and Plympton Sewage Treatment Works
  2 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Nov 2019 3.2 km
• River Plym from Shaugh Bridge to Riverside Caravan Park including Shaugh Bridge Car Park, Shaugh Mill and Longbridge Road
  12 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Jan 2026 3.4 km
• Tory Brook from Newnham Park to Long Bridge including Newnham Rd, Glen Rd, Plympton St Mary Bridge, Valley Rd and Plympton Sewage Treatment Works
  2 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Nov 2019 3.6 km
• Plympton, Coypool, Newnham Park, Marsh Mills, Clearbrook and Meavy
  119 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Jan 2026 8.3 km
• The River Yealm at Yealmbridge and Yealmpton including Sandpark Wood, Mill Leat Close, Torr Bridge Park and Boldventure
  12 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Dec 2025 9.0 km
• Lee Mill, Yealmpton, Popples Bridge and Newton Ferrers
  113 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Feb 2026 9.8 km

Recorded floods near Plymouth

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

• 28 Aug 2025 — Longbrook, Plymouth Main river
• 2 Nov 2023 — Plympton Main river
• 15 Nov 2022 — River Plym and Meavy Main river
• 4 Jul 2021 — Plympton Other
• 4 Jul 2021 — Chaddlewood Main river
• 1 Jul 2021 — Plympton Main river
• 27 Aug 2020 — CW9649 - Plymouth
• 14 Aug 2020 — CW9638 - Plympton Main river
• 14 Jan 2020 — CW9621 - Plymouth Sea
• 26 Nov 2019 — CW9618 - Plymouth Drainage
• 30 Sep 2019 — CW9599 - Plymouth Drainage
• 8 Nov 2018 — CW9584 - Plymouth (Devonport road) Drainage

…and 46 earlier recorded floods on the map.

Rainfall near Plymouth

The nearest rain gauge, Rainfall station (4.4 km away), recorded 1.0 mm in the last 24 hours and 34.4 mm in the last 7 days (latest reading 32 min ago).

At-risk postcodes in Plymouth

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

High likelihood (151)

Medium likelihood (37)

Low likelihood (64)

Very low likelihood (62)

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.