Does Rustington flood?

Flood warnings in force near Rustington

• Flood alert — Climping Seafront
  Flooding is possible for 2 hours either side of Monday evening's tide at 23:15 on 26/10/2026 4.0 km

From the Environment Agency (England). Always check the GOV.UK Check for Flooding service or call Floodline on 0345 988 1188.

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

Ordnance Survey places 23 postcodes in Rustington 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 231 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 Rustington

Environment Agency gauges within 10 km of Rustington watch River Arun, Barnham Rife.

• Littlehampton Tidal
  River Arun · 2.3 km away -1.28 mAOD
  rises and falls with the tide · 24 min ago
• Ferring Outfall
  River Arun · 4.1 km away -3.42 m
  below normal · falling · 24 min ago
• Arundel
  River Arun · 6.2 km away 0.28 mAOD
  normal range · falling · 24 min ago
• Barnham
  Barnham Rife · 9.4 km away No recent reading

Distances are from the middle of Rustington'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 Rustington

20 Environment Agency flood warning areas lie within 10 km of Rustington. The EA has issued 345 flood warnings and alerts for them since 2006, most recently on 26 Oct 2026.

• Tidal areas of Littlehampton East Bank including Caffyn's Field, and Riverside Industrial Estate
  no warning on record since 2006 2.5 km
• Tidal areas of Littlehampton East Bank from the East pier to the A259
  4 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Jan 2017 2.5 km
• The Black Ditch through Angmering, Lyminster and Wick
  3 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Oct 2023 2.8 km
• Tidal areas of Littlehampton Ropewalk
  4 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Apr 2024 3.4 km
• Rope Walk, Ferry and Bridge Road on the west banks of the lower tidal River Arun at Littlehampton
  67 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Oct 2026 3.4 km
• The Black Ditch along River Road in Angmering
  no warning on record since 2006 3.4 km
• The Black Ditch and Eels Springs Ditch at Lyminster and Wick, including Thornlea park and Falcon Gardens
  1 warning or alert since 2006, latest Jun 2012 3.6 km
• Coastal areas of Climping, including Poole Place
  9 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Jan 2026 3.9 km
• Coastal areas of Climping
  158 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Oct 2026 4.0 km
• The River Arun at Ford and Climping
  no warning on record since 2006 4.7 km
• The Ferring Rife at Ferring, including Goring, the A259 at Northbrook College, Ferring Lane, Highdown Way, Langbury Lane, Downview Avenue, Onslow and Brook Lane Caravan Parks
  no warning on record since 2006 5.3 km
• Ferring Rife from the A259 at Northbrook College to Ferring Beach
  no warning on record since 2006 5.3 km

Recorded floods near Rustington

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

• 1 Feb 2020 — 2020 Storm Ciara Climping Breach Sea
• 5 Mar 2014 — East Hampshire Winter 13/14 event Other
• 1 Dec 2013 — Arun Valley 2013/14 Main river
• 18 Dec 1997 — CLIMPING 1997 Other
• 26 Aug 1992 — FERRING 1992 Other
• 7 Apr 1985 — LITTLEHAMPTON 1985 Other
• 2 Feb 1983 — LITTLEHAMPTON 1983 Main river
• 10 Oct 1980 — FERRING 1980 Drainage
• 20 Sep 1980 — ANGMERING 1980 Drainage
• 28 Jan 1975 — CLIMPING 1975 Other
• 26 Feb 1967 — FERRING 1967 Other

Rainfall near Rustington

Rustington gets about 777 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month November, 93 mm; driest May, 45 mm). That is 33% drier than the UK as a whole, which averages 1,163 mm a year. Source: Met Office HadUK-Grid 1991–2020 (5 km grid), 2.5 km from the place centre.

The nearest rain gauge, Rainfall station (6.5 km away), recorded 4.1 mm in the last 24 hours and 93.7 mm in the last 7 days (latest reading 24 min ago).

At-risk postcodes in Rustington

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

High likelihood (13)

Medium likelihood (2)

Low likelihood (7)

Very low likelihood (1)

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.