Does Tilbury flood? 232 postcodes in Tilbury are in the Environment Agency's rivers-and-sea flood-risk data (2 Medium likelihood) — the breakdown is further down this page.
Conditions are worth watching: the Environment Agency has a Flood Alert in force for The Essex coast at Coalhouse Fort — flooding is possible from 11:30pm Friday 9th October through to 1:30am on Saturday 10th October. Flooding is possible — be prepared and keep an eye on updates.
Updated 2026-10-09 15:11:55 UTC · Official GOV.UK warnings · Flood preparation & help guide
Tilbury is a port town on the north bank of the Thames in the borough of Thurrock in Essex, England. The town was established as separate settlement near East and West Tilbury and Tilbury Fort in the late 19th century, on land that was mainly part of the parish of Chadwell St Mary. The Gravesend–Tilbury Ferry was an ancient and important crossing point. Tilbury is part of the Port of London with a major deep-water port which contributes to the local economy. It lies 24 miles (39 km) east of central London and adjoins the town of Grays. It is the southernmost point in Essex. At the 2021 census the Tilbury built up area had a population of 14,185.
Ordnance Survey places 232 postcodes in Tilbury 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 6,163 properties in the EA dataset's likelihood bands.
| EA likelihood band | Postcodes (worst band) | Properties in the EA dataset | of which homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| High | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Medium | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Low | 8 | 117 | 112 |
| Very low | 222 | 6,043 | 5,270 |
| All bands | 232 | 6,163 | 5,385 |
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.
…and 132 more at-risk postcodes, listed on the district pages below.
Northfleet · Grays · Swanscombe · Gravesend · West Thurrock · East Tilbury · Purfleet-on-Thames · Dartford
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.
The nearest watercourse on the river map is the River Thames (Northfleet Hope) (tidal here), about 250 m from the middle of Tilbury's gauges.
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 the River Thames (Northfleet Hope) nearest the middle of Tilbury'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.
Tilbury is monitored by 1 Environment Agency river level station on the Thames Tideway, in Essex. Water levels are updated every 15 minutes, providing real-time flood monitoring for the area.
The Thames Tideway is monitored by 1 station (Tilbury). Each station records water levels continuously, with data synced to FloodRadar every 5 minutes.
There are 8 Environment Agency flood warning areas within 10km of Tilbury. When the EA issues a flood warning for any of these areas, it will appear on this page. These include: Areas at risk of tidal flooding in Gravesend and Northfleet, including Swanscombe; The Essex coast from Fobbing to Purfleet-on-Thames, including Tilbury, Grays and the Dartford Crossing; Areas at risk of tidal flooding on seaward side of tidal defences from Greenhithe to Denton, including Northfleet and Gravesend; Grays to Purfleet-on-Thames, from Dock Road, in Grays, to London Road, in Purfleet-on-Thames.
There are 17 storm overflows within 5km of Tilbury. None of the 15 with a reporting monitor are currently discharging (2 have no live status right now). 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:
If flooding is forecast in Tilbury, 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.
Tilbury gets about 546 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month November, 61 mm; driest March, 33 mm). That is 53% 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), 1.8 km away. Average rainfall: HadUK-Grid v1.3.2, Met Office. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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 →
Records, not floods: no outline on the record is not evidence a place has not flooded.
Current verdict: Watch. Conditions are worth watching: the Environment Agency has a Flood Alert in force for The Essex coast at Coalhouse Fort — flooding is possible from 11:30pm Friday 9th October through to 1:30am on Saturday 10th October. Flooding is possible — be prepared and keep an eye on updates.
Tilbury has river level monitoring on Thames Tideway — 1 monitoring station in total.
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.
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.
Yes — the Environment Agency's Recorded Flood Outlines dataset shows 3 recorded flood extents around the town centre since 1703, most recently in 1968. 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.
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