Does Whitehaven flood?

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

Ordnance Survey places 120 postcodes in Whitehaven 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 1,216 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 Whitehaven

Environment Agency gauges within 10 km of Whitehaven watch River Keekle, Wyre River, Skirting Beck, River Ehen.

• St Leonards
  River Keekle · 5.8 km away 0.47 m
  normal range · rising · 32 min ago
• Harrington Eadie Street
  Wyre River · 7.8 km away 0.22 m
  normal range · rising · 32 min ago
• Church View
  Skirting Beck · 7.9 km away 0.38 m
  normal range · falling · 32 min ago
• Egremont
  River Ehen · 8.1 km away 0.58 m
  normal range · steady · 32 min ago

Distances are from the middle of Whitehaven'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 Whitehaven

9 Environment Agency flood warning areas lie within 10 km of Whitehaven. The EA has issued 275 flood warnings and alerts for them since 2006, most recently on 24 Mar 2026.

• Flooding of properties in Whitehaven Town Centre area 0.4 km
• Properties at risk from Skirting Beck on Chaucer Avenue, Milton Rd, Keats Drive, Croadalla Ave, Falcon Club, West Lakes Academy, Church View, Beck Side
  4 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Oct 2017 7.6 km
• Properties at risk from Whangs Beck including Orgill Primary School, Baybarrow Road, Southey Ave, Spencer Close, Coleridge Drive, Keats Drive, Croadalla Ave, Church View, Beck Side
  4 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Oct 2017 7.7 km
• River Wyre at Harrington, Moorclose Road, Church Road, Burnside and Eadie Street areas
  1 warning or alert since 2006, latest Nov 2025 7.8 km
• Properties at risk from Skirting Beck on Church View and Beck Side
  4 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Oct 2017 8.0 km
• River Ehen at Egremont, Bleach Green, Ennerdale Mill, Bridge End, Vale View, Wood Bank and the Rugby Club
  28 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Dec 2025 8.1 km
• Properties adjacent to the River Ehen at Egremont, including the Beck Green, Bridge End, Croft Terrace and Cross Side areas
  4 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Nov 2015 8.1 km
• Properties adjacent to the River Ehen at Low Mill
  4 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Oct 2021 9.7 km
• Rivers Ehen, Calder, Irt and Esk and other watercourses, from Harrington to Annaside including low lying areas around Whitehaven, Cleator Moor, Egremont, Gosforth, Eskdale and Bootle
  226 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Mar 2026 10.0 km

Recorded floods near Whitehaven

Floods whose mapped extent (EA Recorded Flood Outlines) reached within ~5 km of Whitehaven, most recent first. Absence of a record does not mean a place has never flooded. See them on the map →

• 9 Feb 2020 — Storm Ciara 09_02_2020 Main river
• 9 Feb 2020 — Storm Ciara Cleator Moor 09-02-2020 Main river
• 9 Feb 2020 — Storm Ciara Whitehaven 09-02-2020 Main river
• 11 Oct 2017 — 11/10/2017 Fluvial Flood Event - Cleator Moor Main river
• 14 Aug 2017 — 14 August 2017 - Cleator Moor Other
• 14 Aug 2017 — 14 August 2017 - Whitehaven Other
• 14 Jan 2015 — Littlebeck Warren 14/01/2015 Ordinary watercourse
• 23 Dec 2013 — Sandwith flooding 23/12/2013 Drainage
• 23 Dec 2013 — Recorded flood Other
• 23 Dec 2013 — Whinlatter Rd flooding 23/12/2013 Drainage
• 23 Dec 2013 — Distington 23/12/2013 Drainage
• 30 Aug 2012 — Sandwith 30th August 2012 Other

…and 13 earlier recorded floods on the map.

Rainfall near Whitehaven

The nearest rain gauge, Rainfall station (3.1 km away), recorded 8.0 mm in the last 24 hours and 27.6 mm in the last 7 days (latest reading 32 min ago).

At-risk postcodes in Whitehaven

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

High likelihood (65)

Medium likelihood (21)

Low likelihood (29)

Very low likelihood (5)

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.