Does Portishead flood?

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

Ordnance Survey places 203 postcodes in Portishead 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 4,322 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 Portishead

Environment Agency gauges within 10 km of Portishead watch Land Yeo.

• Avonmouth Portbury Tidal
  Tide · 2.9 km away -4.89 mAOD
  rises and falls with the tide · 1 h ago
• Wraxall
  Land Yeo · 4.9 km away 0.26 m
  normal range · falling · 33 min ago

Distances are from the middle of Portishead'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 Portishead

13 Environment Agency flood warning areas lie within 10 km of Portishead. The EA has issued 726 flood warnings and alerts for them since 2006, most recently on 30 Sep 2026.

• Coastline between Portishead Point and Avonmouth
  82 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Sep 2025 1.1 km
• Portbury Wharf to Bristol Road and Portbury Common to the south of Portishead including The Marina, Harbour Road, Wyndham Way and the Fennel Road area. Clapton Lane, Moor Lane and Clapton Moor in the Gordano Valley area
  no warning on record since 2006 1.9 km
• Coastline between Portishead Point and Avonmouth including Portishead Ashlands Nature Reserve and the Royal Portbury Dock
  70 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Oct 2024 2.2 km
• Baltic Place, Bank Place, Underbanks, Pump Square, Marine Parade, Mariners Way and Avon Road in Pill and Riverside Close in Shirehampton
  no warning on record since 2006 5.2 km
• Nibley Road and Wellington Mews areas in Shirehampton
  2 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Mar 2020 5.2 km
• Watch House Road in Pill and the Station Road area in Shirehampton
  51 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Oct 2024 5.7 km
• Industrial areas from Chittening Industrial Estate to the north to Avonmouth Docks to the south including the Lawrence Weston Road and St Andrews Road areas. Residential areas at Avonmouth including the Avonmouth Road, Portview Road and Portway areas
  no warning on record since 2006 7.0 km
• Yeolands Drive to the Blind Yeo river to the south and Southern Way to the north including Strode Sports Centre. Kenn Road to Clevedon Moor to the east and Tickenham Road to the north including Yeo Moor Schools and Hither Green Industrial Estate
  no warning on record since 2006 7.1 km
• Coastline between Gullhouse Point and Marine Parade
  116 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Apr 2026 7.3 km
• Severn Estuary from the Severn View Industrial Park to the tidal River Avon including Severn Road, Holesmouth, Smoke Lane Industrial Estate and Royal Edward Dock
  1 warning or alert since 2006, latest Mar 2020 7.6 km
• Marshalls Field area to Fosseway and Churchill Avenue to the east to Old Church Road to the north including Strode Road and Tweed Road Industrial Estate
  2 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Mar 2020 8.7 km
• Tidal River Avon from Sea Mills to Conham in Bristol and between the Avonmouth Bridge and Shirehampton Park including Pill and Shirehampton
  352 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Sep 2026 8.8 km

Recorded floods near Portishead

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

• 25 Nov 2012 — Portbury_Nov 2012 Ordinary watercourse
• 21 Nov 2012 — Portishead_Nov 2012 Drainage
• 21 Jun 2007 — EA112_SW_Portishead Sewer
• 26 Feb 1990 — EA112_Feb_Avon_Pill_1990 Main river
• 26 Feb 1990 — EA112_PortburyDitch_Portishead Main river
• 10 Feb 1989 — EA112_Avon_Pill_1989 Main river
• 13 Dec 1981 — EA112_Coastal_Portbury_1981 Sea
• 1 Dec 1981 — Tidal Severn Other
• 4 Dec 1960 — EA112_Clifton_Suspension_Bristol Main river
• 4 Dec 1960 — EA112_Avon_M5_Avonmouth Main river

Rainfall near Portishead

Portishead gets about 866 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month December, 95 mm; driest April, 55 mm). That is 26% drier than the UK as a whole, which averages 1,163 mm a year. Source: Met Office HadUK-Grid 1991–2020 (5 km grid), 1.2 km from the place centre.

The nearest rain gauge, Rainfall station (6.3 km away), recorded 8.0 mm in the last 24 hours and 79.6 mm in the last 7 days (latest reading 33 min ago).

At-risk postcodes in Portishead

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

High likelihood (7)

Medium likelihood (2)

Low likelihood (1)

Very low likelihood (193)

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.