Does South Benfleet flood?

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

Ordnance Survey places 41 postcodes in South Benfleet 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 508 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 South Benfleet

Environment Agency gauges within 10 km of South Benfleet watch River Crouch.

• Wickford
  River Crouch · 7.3 km away 0.16 m
  normal range · steady · 27 min ago

Distances are from the middle of South Benfleet'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 South Benfleet

12 Environment Agency flood warning areas lie within 10 km of South Benfleet. The EA has issued 116 flood warnings and alerts for them since 2006, most recently on 13 Jun 2025.

• Canvey Island north of the A130, Long Road
  no warning on record since 2006 1.8 km
• The Essex coast at Canvey Island to South Benfleet, and Wat Tyler Country Park and surrounding marshland
  no warning on record since 2006 2.1 km
• Leigh-on-Sea frontage including the High Street, Chalkwell to Hadleigh marshes and Two Tree Island
  1 warning or alert since 2006, latest Jan 2017 3.6 km
• The Essex coast from Leigh-on-Sea, to and including, Hadleigh Marshes, and Two Tree Island
  16 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Apr 2024 3.6 km
• Canvey Island south of the A130, Long Road
  no warning on record since 2006 4.5 km
• Shellhaven to Tilbury, including Mucking and Linford
  no warning on record since 2006 5.7 km
• The Eastwood Brook from downstream of Rayleigh Weir and the Prittlewell Brook, to Southend Airport
  8 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Sep 2024 8.5 km
• The River Roach, Prittle Brook and Eastwood Brook at Southend
  41 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Jun 2025 8.5 km
• The River Crouch from Noak Bridge through Wickford to Runwell
  13 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Oct 2021 8.6 km
• The River Crouch from Noaks Bridge to Runwell, including Wickford
  36 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Jan 2025 8.9 km
• Southend seafront from the Pier along the Western and Chalkwell Esplanades to Chalkwell
  1 warning or alert since 2006, latest Jan 2017 9.6 km
• Areas at risk of tidal flooding in the North Kent Marshes between Shorne Marsh and Allhallows, including Lower Higham and Cliffe
  no warning on record since 2006 9.8 km

Recorded floods near South Benfleet

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

• 12 Jan 1968 — 1968 September Flood Outline Main river
• 1 Jun 1958 — 1958 Flood Outline Other
• 31 Jan 1953 — 1953 Coast Flood Outline Essex Sea

Rainfall near South Benfleet

South Benfleet gets about 554 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month October, 65 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), 0.9 km from the place centre.

The nearest rain gauge, Rainfall station (1.1 km away), recorded 2.4 mm in the last 24 hours and 25.8 mm in the last 7 days (latest reading 27 min ago).

At-risk postcodes in South Benfleet

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

High likelihood (2)

Medium likelihood (3)

Low likelihood (22)

Very low likelihood (14)

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.