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Sabden Flooding

Lancashire • Live river level monitoring on Sabden Brook
1 monitoring station
1 river
8 warning areas
🏠 Thinking of buying in Sabden? Get the detailed Property Flood-Risk Report for any Sabden postcode — official risk band, recorded floods since 1703, warning history, river behaviour and nearby storm overflows. £19 one-off, instant. Learn more →

Flood risk in Sabden today: Watch

Conditions are worth watching: heavy rain has fallen nearby (25 mm in the last 24 hours at Rainfall station). Keep an eye on updates if heavy rain continues.

Updated 2026-10-10 00:05:12 UTC · Official GOV.UK warnings · Flood preparation & help guide

About Sabden
Sabden
Village in Lancashire, England

Sabden is a village and civil parish in the Ribble Valley, Lancashire, England. Sabden is located south of Pendle Hill, in a valley about three miles north west of Padiham. The parish covers 2,450.9 acres (991.85 ha), of which 103.2 acres (41.75 ha) is occupied by the village. It lies in the Forest of Pendle section of the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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 Sabden’s gauges and flood maps loads as you reach it.
Recent Flood Events
9 Oct 2026 16:04 Warning no longer in force
Upper River Wyre, Brock
9 Oct 2026 16:02 Warning no longer in force
Lower River Wyre
9 Oct 2026 09:39 Flood Alert
Upper River Wyre, Brock
9 Oct 2026 09:38 Flood Alert
Lower River Wyre
8 Oct 2026 17:30 Flood Alert
Upper River Wyre, Brock
8 Oct 2026 17:29 Flood Alert
Lower River Wyre

Does it flood near Sabden?

Towns and villages near Sabden with a page of their own: the homes in a flood risk area there, the nearest river gauges, and recorded floods.

Great Harwood · Church · Oswaldtwistle

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 watercourse nearest Sabden

The nearest watercourse on the river map is Sabden Brook, about 10 m from the middle of Sabden's gauges. It flows into the River Calder about 5.9 km 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 Sabden Brook nearest the middle of Sabden'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 Sabden

Sabden is monitored by 1 Environment Agency river level station on the Sabden Brook, in Lancashire. Water levels are updated every 15 minutes, providing real-time flood monitoring for the area.

Monitoring Stations

The Sabden Brook is monitored by 1 station (Sabden Bridge). 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 Sabden. When the EA issues a flood warning for any of these areas, it will appear on this page. These include: Sabden Brook and Badger Well Water at Sabden, Stubbins Vale Caravan Park, Wesley Street and Whalley Road areas; In the vicinity of Wyre Street, Burnley Road, Park Road, Station Road, Waterside Mews, and St James Place; Council offices and in the vicinity of Lune St, Ribble St and Burnley Rd.; The business park at Mead Way.

Sewage Discharge Monitoring

There are 13 storm overflows within 5km of Sabden. None of the 13 with a reporting monitor are 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:

What To Do During A Flood

If flooding is forecast in Sabden, 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 Sabden

Sabden gets about 1,275 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month December, 148 mm; driest April, 68 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), 0.4 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 Sabden

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 →

  • 2024-12-31 — 31st December 2024 (Ordinary watercourse)
  • 2024-12-31 — 31st December 2024 (Drainage)
  • 2024-12-31 — 31st December 2024 (Drainage)
  • 2020-06-16 — Back King Street (Drainage)
  • 2020-02-09 — Dean Lane
  • 2020-02-09 — Water Street
  • 2020-02-09 — Billington and Whalley (Main river)
  • 2017-03-17 — 17 March 2017
  • 2016-08-22 — August 2016 (Main river)
  • 2015-12-26 — 26th December 2015
  • 2015-12-26 — Station Road, Whalley
  • 2015-12-26 — Accrington Road and Sydney Avenue, Whalley (Drainage)

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

Frequently asked questions

Is there flooding in Sabden today?

Current verdict: Watch. Conditions are worth watching: heavy rain has fallen nearby (25 mm in the last 24 hours at Rainfall station). Keep an eye on updates if heavy rain continues.

Which rivers affect Sabden?

Sabden has river level monitoring on Sabden Brook — 1 monitoring station in total.

How do I check official flood warnings for Sabden?

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 Sabden flooded before?

Yes — the Environment Agency's Recorded Flood Outlines dataset shows 2 recorded flood extents around the town centre since 1703, most recently in 2008. 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 →