FloodRadar
Log inCreate free account
FloodRadar
Log inCreate free account
Does Rawtenstall flood? 183 postcodes in Rawtenstall are in the Environment Agency's rivers-and-sea flood-risk data (72 High, 23 Medium likelihood) — the breakdown is further down this page.
Conditions are worth watching: heavy rain has fallen nearby (31.6 mm in the last 24 hours at Rainfall station). Keep an eye on updates if heavy rain continues.
Updated 2026-10-09 13:33:13 UTC · Official GOV.UK warnings · Flood preparation & help guide
Rawtenstall is a town in the borough of Rossendale, Lancashire, England. The town lies 15 miles (24 km) north of Manchester, 22 miles (35 km) east of Preston and 45 miles (70 km) south east of Lancaster. The town is at the centre of the Rossendale Valley. As of 2022, it had a population of 23,000.
Ordnance Survey places 183 postcodes in Rawtenstall 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 2,160 properties in the EA dataset's likelihood bands.
| EA likelihood band | Postcodes (worst band) | Properties in the EA dataset | of which homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| High | 72 | 407 | 226 |
| Medium | 23 | 356 | 152 |
| Low | 88 | 1,396 | 990 |
| Very low | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| All bands | 183 | 2,160 | 1,369 |
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 83 more at-risk postcodes, listed on the district pages below.
Haslingden · Water · Oswaldtwistle · Church · Whitworth · Great Harwood
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 Limy Water, about 20 m from the middle of Rawtenstall's gauges. It flows into the River Irwell about 750 m downstream.
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 Limy Water nearest the middle of Rawtenstall'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.
Rawtenstall is monitored by 1 Environment Agency river level station on the Limey Water, in Lancashire. Water levels are updated every 15 minutes, providing real-time flood monitoring for the area.
The Limey Water is monitored by 1 station (Rawtenstall). 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 Rawtenstall. When the EA issues a flood warning for any of these areas, it will appear on this page. These include: Properties on and adjacent to Burnley Road; south of Constable Lee Bridge. Bocholt Way and Bacup Road from Bury Road to Lench Road. Properties near Hareholme mill, Victoria Works and Holme Lane including parts of New Hall Hey Road; Areas at risk include properties adjacent to Limy Water from Brittania Mill to Mill Road. Including Stoneholme road, Crawshaw Grange and Burnley Road; Areas at risk are properties along Burnley Road between Adelaide Street and Forest Bank Road. This includes Britannia Mill, Quakers Friend Meeting House and Mansion House Buildings, parts of Water Street and the Library on Adelaide Street.; Areas at risk include properties along Burnley road between Riverside Park and Ashworth road. Also at risk are properties on Riverside Mews, Some property on Brock Clough Road and Shaw Clough Street..
There are 34 storm overflows within 5km of Rawtenstall. 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 Rawtenstall, 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.
Rawtenstall gets about 1,429 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month December, 167 mm; driest April, 82 mm). That is 23% wetter than 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), 1.6 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: heavy rain has fallen nearby (31.6 mm in the last 24 hours at Rainfall station). Keep an eye on updates if heavy rain continues.
Rawtenstall has river level monitoring on Limey Water — 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 13 recorded flood extents around the town centre since 1703, most recently in 2024. 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.
FloodRadar helper · beta