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Does Preston flood? 172 postcodes in Preston are in the Environment Agency's rivers-and-sea flood-risk data (21 High, 90 Medium likelihood) — the breakdown is further down this page.
Conditions are worth watching: the Environment Agency has a Flood Alert in force for Upper River Wyre, Brock — flooding is possible on Friday 09 October. Flooding is possible — be prepared and keep an eye on updates.
Updated 2026-10-09 15:11:30 UTC · Official GOV.UK warnings · Flood preparation & help guide
Preston is a city on the north bank of the River Ribble in Lancashire, England. The city is the administrative centre of the county of Lancashire and the wider City of Preston local government district. Preston and its surrounding district obtained city status in 2002, becoming England's 50th city in the 50th year of Queen Elizabeth II's reign. Preston had a population of 147,835 at the 2021 census, the City of Preston district 156,411 in 2023 and the Preston Built-up Area 313,322. The Preston Travel To Work Area had a population of 420,661 in 2011, compared with 354,000 at the previous census. The south bank of the Ribble is part of the Preston urban area, although it forms the South Ribble borough that is administratively separate.
Ordnance Survey places 172 postcodes in Preston 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 3,720 properties in the EA dataset's likelihood bands.
| EA likelihood band | Postcodes (worst band) | Properties in the EA dataset | of which homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| High | 21 | 278 | 237 |
| Medium | 90 | 2,139 | 1,833 |
| Low | 54 | 1,054 | 770 |
| Very low | 7 | 249 | 234 |
| All bands | 172 | 3,720 | 3,074 |
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.
…and 72 more at-risk postcodes, listed on the district pages below.
Penwortham · Fulwood · Leyland
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.
The nearest watercourse on the river map is the River Ribble (tidal here), about 30 m from the middle of Preston'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 Ribble nearest the middle of Preston'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.
Preston is monitored by 1 Environment Agency river level station on the River Ribble, in Lancashire. Water levels are updated every 15 minutes, providing real-time flood monitoring for the area.
The River Ribble is monitored by 1 station (Walton-Le-Dale). Each station records water levels continuously, with data synced to FloodRadar every 5 minutes.
There are 8 Environment Agency flood warning areas within 10km of Preston. When the EA issues a flood warning for any of these areas, it will appear on this page. These include: Includes Ribble Side Farm, Watery Lane, Factory Lane and Ashworth Grove, Walton Green, Beechwood Avenue, Heaton Close, and Chorley Road and Drakes Hollow; Properties on the South bank of the Ribble between the Darwen Confluence and the Railway Bridge and on the North bank upstream of Walton Bridge; Area on the North Bank of the River Ribble between the Old Tram Bridge and the Railway Bridge comprising Avenham Park and Miller Park; Properties in Broadgate in South End, Riverside, and Connaught Road, including The Continental pub and Preston Sports Club.
There are 58 storm overflows within 5km of Preston. 1 is currently discharging. 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:
If flooding is forecast in Preston, 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.
Preston gets about 1,060 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month December, 121 mm; driest April, 57 mm). That is close to 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), 2.7 km away. Average rainfall: HadUK-Grid v1.3.2, Met Office. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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 →
Records, not floods: no outline on the record is not evidence a place has not flooded.
Current verdict: Watch. Conditions are worth watching: the Environment Agency has a Flood Alert in force for Upper River Wyre, Brock — flooding is possible on Friday 09 October. Flooding is possible — be prepared and keep an eye on updates.
Preston has river level monitoring on River Ribble — 1 monitoring station in total.
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.
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.
Yes — the Environment Agency's Recorded Flood Outlines dataset shows 26 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.
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