Does Worthing flood?

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

Ordnance Survey places 216 postcodes in Worthing 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 2,914 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 Worthing

Environment Agency gauges within 10 km of Worthing watch River Arun, River Adur.

• Ferring Outfall
  River Arun · 4.6 km away -3.43 m
  below normal · falling · 24 min ago
• Beeding Bridge Tidal
  River Adur · 9.6 km away 0.79 m
  rises and falls with the tide · 24 min ago
• Shoreham Harbour Tidal
  River Adur · 10.0 km away -1.79 mAOD
  rises and falls with the tide · 24 min ago

Distances are from the middle of Worthing'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 Worthing

10 Environment Agency flood warning areas lie within 10 km of Worthing. The EA has issued 23 flood warnings and alerts for them since 2006, most recently on 8 Jan 2026.

• Coastal areas of Rustington to Shoreham fort including Ferring, Worthing, Lancing and Shoreham Beach
  17 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Jan 2026 0.5 km
• Coastal areas of Rustington, Ferring, Worthing and Lancing
  no warning on record since 2006 1.3 km
• The Ferring Rife at Ferring, including Goring, the A259 at Northbrook College, Ferring Lane, Highdown Way, Langbury Lane, Downview Avenue, Onslow and Brook Lane Caravan Parks
  no warning on record since 2006 3.7 km
• Ferring Rife from the A259 at Northbrook College to Ferring Beach
  no warning on record since 2006 3.7 km
• Areas of Shoreham at risk including the High Street, Old Shoreham Road, Shoreham Airport, Riverside Road, Beach Green, Eastern parts of North and South Lancing, Broadway and Willowbrook caravan parks, Adur recreation ground and Aldrington Basin
  no warning on record since 2006 6.6 km
• Areas of Shoreham at risk from a high tide including Eastern parts of North and South Lancing, Broadway and Willowbrook caravan parks, Adur recreation ground, Old Shoreham Road, Beach Green and Aldrington Basin
  2 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Dec 2013 6.6 km
• The Black Ditch along River Road in Angmering
  no warning on record since 2006 6.9 km
• Beach front areas of Shoreham Beach
  no warning on record since 2006 8.7 km
• The Black Ditch through Angmering, Lyminster and Wick
  3 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Oct 2023 9.3 km
• The River Adur at Upper Beeding and Bramber, including Newbrook Farm, and Beeding Manor
  1 warning or alert since 2006, latest Oct 2023 9.9 km

Recorded floods near Worthing

Floods whose mapped extent (EA Recorded Flood Outlines) reached within ~5 km of Worthing, 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 Mar 2014 — Winter 13/14 East Hampshire Aerial Photography Other
• 26 Aug 1992 — FERRING 1992 Other
• 26 Aug 1992 — LANCING 1992 Other
• 2 Jun 1981 — WORTHING 1981 Other
• 10 Oct 1980 — FERRING 1980 Drainage
• 20 Sep 1980 — WORTHING 1980 Other
• 20 Sep 1980 — SOMPTING 1980 Main river
• 20 Sep 1980 — Worthing 1980 Drainage
• 25 Nov 1976 — LANCING 1976 Drainage
• 23 Nov 1974 — LANCING 1974 Drainage
• 26 Feb 1967 — FERRING 1967 Other
• 1 Nov 1960 — WORTHING 1960 Other

…and 1 earlier recorded flood on the map.

Rainfall near Worthing

Worthing gets about 783 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month November, 96 mm; driest May, 46 mm). That is 33% drier than the UK as a whole, which averages 1,163 mm a year. Source: Met Office HadUK-Grid 1991–2020 (5 km grid), 1.0 km from the place centre.

The nearest rain gauge, Rainfall station (2.8 km away), recorded 4.2 mm in the last 24 hours and 93.1 mm in the last 7 days (latest reading 24 min ago).

At-risk postcodes in Worthing

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

High likelihood (132)

Medium likelihood (4)

Low likelihood (60)

Very low likelihood (20)

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.