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Rickmansworth Flooding

Hertfordshire • Live river level monitoring on River Chess & River Colne
2 monitoring stations
2 rivers
8 warning areas
🏠 Thinking of buying in Rickmansworth? Get the detailed Property Flood-Risk Report for any Rickmansworth postcode — official risk band, recorded floods since 1703, warning history, river behaviour and nearby storm overflows. £19 one-off, instant. Learn more →

Does Rickmansworth flood? 92 postcodes in Rickmansworth are in the Environment Agency's rivers-and-sea flood-risk data (52 High, 10 Medium likelihood) — the breakdown is further down this page.

Flood risk in Rickmansworth today: Watch

Conditions are worth watching: the Environment Agency has a Flood Alert in force for Tidal Thames riverside from Putney Bridge to Teddington Weir — flooding is possible from 02:15 AM to 04:15 AM on Saturday 10th October. Flooding is possible — be prepared and keep an eye on updates.

Updated 2026-10-09 22:01:42 UTC · Official GOV.UK warnings · Flood preparation & help guide

About Rickmansworth
Rickmansworth
Town in Hertfordshire, England

Rickmansworth is a town in south-west Hertfordshire, England, located approximately 17 miles (27 km) north-west of central London, 5 miles (8 km) south-west of Watford and inside the perimeter of the M25 motorway. The town is mainly to the north of the Grand Union Canal and the River Colne.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Flood Contacts
Floodline 24hr
0345 988 1188
Emergency
999
The map of Rickmansworth’s gauges and flood maps loads as you reach it.
Recent Flood Events
28 Aug 2026 09:08 Flood Alert
Upper River Colne and Radlett Brook
28 Aug 2026 09:08 Flood Alert
Lower Lee tributaries
27 Aug 2026 17:36 Flood Alert
Lower Lee tributaries
27 Aug 2026 17:36 Flood Alert
Upper River Colne and Radlett Brook
27 Aug 2026 09:39 Flood Alert
Upper River Colne and Radlett Brook
27 Aug 2026 09:37 Flood Alert
Lower Lee tributaries

Does Rickmansworth flood?

Ordnance Survey places 92 postcodes in Rickmansworth 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 1,002 properties in the EA dataset's likelihood bands.

EA likelihood bandPostcodes (worst band)Properties in the EA datasetof which homes
High52393334
Medium10196171
Low25354312
Very low55951
All bands921,002868

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.

The 92 at-risk postcodes in Rickmansworth, worst band first

High likelihood (52)

Medium likelihood (10)

Low likelihood (25)

Very low likelihood (5)

Postcode districts

Places nearby with a page of their own

Bushey · Chalfont St Peter · Harrow · New Denham · Amersham

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.

All data sources & licences

The watercourse nearest Rickmansworth

Two mapped watercourses are about the same distance from the middle of Rickmansworth's gauges: the River Gade (about 140 m) and an unnamed stream (about 180 m), so this page cannot say which one is nearer to you.

Distances along the river are from the point on each watercourse nearest the middle of Rickmansworth'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.

Useful Links
Flood Monitoring in Rickmansworth

Rickmansworth is monitored by 2 Environment Agency river level stations on the River Chess, the River Colne, in Hertfordshire. Water levels are updated every 15 minutes, providing real-time flood monitoring for the area.

Monitoring Stations

The River Chess is monitored by 1 station (Rickmansworth). The River Colne is monitored by 1 station (Moor Lane). Each station records water levels continuously, with data synced to FloodRadar every 5 minutes.

Flood Warning Areas

There are 8 Environment Agency flood warning areas within 10km of Rickmansworth. When the EA issues a flood warning for any of these areas, it will appear on this page. These include: The River Chess at Loudwater, Rickmansworth; The River Colne at Rickmansworth including Batchworth, Money Hill and Maple Cross; The Middle River Colne at Watford and Rickmansworth including Carpenders Park; The River Gade at Kings Langley and Croxley, including Abbots Langley.

Sewage Discharge Monitoring

There is 1 storm overflow within 5km of Rickmansworth. None of the 1 with a reporting monitor is currently discharging. Enable "Sewage" on the map above to see their locations.

It has its own page of live status and past discharges:

What To Do During A Flood

If flooding is forecast in Rickmansworth, 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.

How much rain falls on Rickmansworth

Rickmansworth gets about 674 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month November, 75 mm; driest March, 43 mm). That is 42% drier 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), 2.1 km away. Average rainfall: HadUK-Grid v1.3.2, Met Office. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Recorded floods near Rickmansworth

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 →

  • 2024-02-29 — EA06FebruaryWinter2024 (Main river)
  • 2024-02-29 — EA06FebruaryWinter2024 (Drainage)
  • 2024-02-29 — EA06FebruaryWinter2024 (Drainage)
  • 2021-01-29 — ea06JanuaryWinter2021 (Main river)
  • 2018-02-08 — ea06FebruaryWinter2018 (Main river)
  • 2016-06-26 — ea06JuneSummer2016 (Ordinary watercourse)
  • 2016-06-26 — ea06JuneSummer2016 (Ordinary watercourse)
  • 2016-06-23 — ea06JuneSummer2016 (Drainage)
  • 2016-06-23 — ea06JuneSummer2016 (Main river)
  • 2016-06-23 — ea06JuneSummer2016 (Drainage)
  • 2014-02-08 — ea06FebruaryWinter2014 (Main river)
  • 2014-02-08 — ea06FebruaryWinter2014 (Main river)

Records, not floods: no outline on the record is not evidence a place has not flooded.

Frequently asked questions

Is there flooding in Rickmansworth today?

Current verdict: Watch. Conditions are worth watching: the Environment Agency has a Flood Alert in force for Tidal Thames riverside from Putney Bridge to Teddington Weir — flooding is possible from 02:15 AM to 04:15 AM on Saturday 10th October. Flooding is possible — be prepared and keep an eye on updates.

Which rivers affect Rickmansworth?

Rickmansworth has river level monitoring on River Chess, River Colne — 2 monitoring stations in total.

How do I check official flood warnings for Rickmansworth?

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.

What should I do during a flood warning?

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.

Has Rickmansworth flooded before?

Yes — the Environment Agency's Recorded Flood Outlines dataset shows 17 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.

🏠 Buying or renting around here? Get the Property Flood-Risk Report for any English postcode — official risk band, recorded floods, warning history, river behaviour and nearby storm overflows. £19 one-off. Learn more →