Does Stowmarket flood?

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

Ordnance Survey places 49 postcodes in Stowmarket 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 458 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 Stowmarket

Environment Agency gauges within 10 km of Stowmarket watch River Gipping, Stonham Watercourse, Rattlesden River.

• Stowmarket
  River Gipping · 0.9 km away 0.22 m
  normal range · steady · 30 min ago
• Creeting
  Stonham Watercourse · 4.3 km away 0.22 m
  normal range · steady · 30 min ago
• Rattlesden
  Rattlesden River · 7.4 km away 0.07 m
  normal range · steady · 30 min ago

Distances are from the middle of Stowmarket'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 Stowmarket

5 Environment Agency flood warning areas lie within 10 km of Stowmarket. The EA has issued 132 flood warnings and alerts for them since 2006, most recently on 15 Feb 2026.

• The Rattlesden River and River Gipping, including Lower Street, Rattlesden, the Ford at Wash Lane Onehouse, Combs Ford, Stowmarket. Hawks Mill Street, Crown Street and Coddenham Road in Needham Market
  89 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Feb 2026 0.6 km
• The River Gipping from the A14 at Stowmarket to upstream of Needham Market
  7 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Feb 2024 1.6 km
• The Rattlesden River from Rattlesden to Combs Ford in Stowmarket
  19 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Feb 2024 2.9 km
• The River Gipping through Needham Market
  14 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Feb 2024 5.3 km
• The River Gipping from Needham Market to London Road Bridge, Ipswich, including Bramford and Sproughton
  3 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Oct 2023 9.3 km

Recorded floods near Stowmarket

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

• 5 Dec 2013 — 2013 Flood Outline Sea
• 9 Jan 2009 — 2009 Flood Outline Main river
• 12 Jan 1968 — 1968 September Flood Outline Main river
• 31 Jan 1953 — 1953 Coast Flood Outline Suffolk Sea

Rainfall near Stowmarket

Stowmarket gets about 606 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month October, 61 mm; driest April, 37 mm). That is 48% drier than the UK as a whole, which averages 1,163 mm a year. Source: Met Office HadUK-Grid 1991–2020 (5 km grid), 2.6 km from the place centre.

The nearest rain gauge, Rainfall station (3.1 km away), recorded 2.8 mm in the last 24 hours and 42.0 mm in the last 7 days (latest reading 30 min ago).

At-risk postcodes in Stowmarket

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

High likelihood (15)

Medium likelihood (5)

Low likelihood (22)

Very low likelihood (7)

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.