Does Purfleet-on-Thames flood?

What the Environment Agency's rivers-and-sea flood-risk data says about Purfleet-on-Thames

Ordnance Survey places 51 postcodes in Purfleet-on-Thames 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 1,162 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 Purfleet-on-Thames

Environment Agency gauges within 10 km of Purfleet-on-Thames watch River Cray, River Darent, Thames Tideway, River Ingrebourne, River Beam.

• Crayford
  River Cray · 5.9 km away 0.21 m
  normal range · steady · 34 min ago
• Hawley
  River Darent · 6.4 km away 0.09 m
  normal range · steady · 34 min ago
• Tilbury Tidal
  Thames Tideway · 6.9 km away 1.75 mAOD
  rises and falls with the tide · 34 min ago
• Hall Place
  River Cray · 7.1 km away 0.02 m
  normal range · steady · 34 min ago
• Gaynes Park Structure
  River Ingrebourne · 8.0 km away 0.14 m
  controlled by a sluice or weir · 34 min ago
• Hornchurch_Bretons Farm
  River Beam · 8.3 km away 0.14 m
  normal range · rising · 34 min ago

Distances are from the middle of Purfleet-on-Thames'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 Purfleet-on-Thames

22 Environment Agency flood warning areas lie within 10 km of Purfleet-on-Thames. The EA has issued 326 flood warnings and alerts for them since 2006, most recently on 24 Oct 2026.

• The Mardyke from North Stifford to Purfleet-on-Thames
  24 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Feb 2021 2.0 km
• Areas at risk of tidal flooding in Dartford, Crayford and Greenhithe
  no warning on record since 2006 2.5 km
• Grays to Purfleet-on-Thames, from Dock Road, in Grays, to London Road, in Purfleet-on-Thames
  no warning on record since 2006 2.8 km
• Areas at risk of tidal flooding in Dartford
  no warning on record since 2006 3.0 km
• River Thames from Dartford Creek to Erith High Street East including the Darent Industrial Estate, Slade Green and the Church Industrial Estate
  no warning on record since 2006 3.0 km
• River Darent in Hawley, the Dartford Trade Park, Brooklands, Dartford Town Centre, Dartford and Crayford Marshes to the River Thames including Slade Green and the Darent Industrial Park
  3 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Feb 2014 3.3 km
• River Thames from The Mardyke to Barking Creek including Rainham Marshes, South Hornchurch, Ford Motor Works, Creekmouth, the New England Estate and South Barking
  no warning on record since 2006 6.2 km
• The River Ingrebourne at Hornchurch including Upminster and Rainham
  5 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Jan 2021 6.4 km
• The Essex coast from Fobbing to Purfleet-on-Thames, including Tilbury, Grays and the Dartford Crossing
  38 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Dec 2025 6.8 km
• River Thames riverside from Dartford Creek and The Mardyke to the Thames Barrier
  27 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Apr 2024 7.3 km
• The River Beam at Dagenham including Rainham
  no warning on record since 2006 7.3 km
• River Cray in St Marys Cray, St Pauls Cray, Foots Cray, Sidcup, North Cray, Old Bexley, Hall Place and Crayford to the River Darent
  2 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Oct 2021 8.0 km

Recorded floods near Purfleet-on-Thames

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

• 29 Jan 2021 — ea06JanuaryWinter2021
• 29 May 2018 — ea06MaySpring2018 Ordinary watercourse
• 23 Jun 2016 — ea06JuneSummer2016
• 31 Jan 2014 — ea06FebruaryWinter2014 Main river
• 14 Feb 2007 — 06FebruaryWinter2007 Main river
• 23 Dec 2002 — 06JanuaryNewYear2003 Main river
• 27 Aug 1977 — 07337E300_AUG1977_River Cray_Old Bexley/St Mary's Main river
• 1 Jan 1974 — 06NovemberAutumn1974 Main river
• 14 Sep 1968 — 07337E200_SEPT1968_Darent_Dartford Main river
• 14 Sep 1968 — 07337E200_SEPT1968_Darent_Darenth Main river
• 14 Sep 1968 — 07337E200_SEPT1968_Cray_Dartford Main river
• 12 Jan 1968 — 1968 September Flood Outline Main river

…and 6 earlier recorded floods on the map.

Rainfall near Purfleet-on-Thames

Purfleet-on-Thames gets about 563 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month October, 61 mm; driest March, 33 mm). That is 52% drier than the UK as a whole, which averages 1,163 mm a year. Source: Met Office HadUK-Grid 1991–2020 (5 km grid), 1.9 km from the place centre.

At-risk postcodes in Purfleet-on-Thames

Every postcode Ordnance Survey places in Purfleet-on-Thames 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 (3)

Very low likelihood (39)

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.