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C+Hazard risk Grade
Flood & hazards in Buncrana · EPA, GSI and OPW data

Buncrana’s hazards: radon, landslide ground and homes by big water

With 9.6% of its homes standing low beside the Crana Estuary, Buncrana grades C+ for hazard risk: #4 of 6 in County Donegal; flood counts only against a town, and here it does.

9.6%of homes low-lyingunder 0.1%of homes over the radon level
In brief

What stands out about Buncrana’s hazards

From the EPA’s radon map, Geological Survey Ireland’s landslide map, the OPW’s flood relief schemes and our estimate of low-lying homes, below.

Some homes low by waterAbout 9.6% of homes sit within a few metres of the Crana Estuary’s level: a higher share than in 73% of Irish towns.Low radonAn estimated under 0.1% of homes are above the radon reference level, among the lowest anywhere.
By hazard

What Buncrana faces

Each hazard against its own yardstick; meters run from low to high on that yardstick.

Low-lying homes

9.6%of homes low by a big river, lake or the sea
a higher share than in 73% of Irish towns
About 370 homes

By the coast

0.1%of homes on low ground by the coast
9.5% by rivers, lakes and estuaries
Low ground by the coast, from LiDAR

Radon

under 0.1%of homes estimated over the reference level
less radon than in 91% of Irish towns
0% of homes in a High Radon Area

Landslides

1.1%of homes on high or moderately high ground
more homes on it than in 90% of Irish towns
Rated from the ground and its slope

Bathing water

sufficientLady's Bay, Buncrana, 1.3 km
4 bathing waters within 15 km
Rated for the 2025 season

Ground heights

97%of homes on detailed ground heights
Enough to measure flood (80% needed)
Of 3,860 homes counted
Not on this page: the OPW’s official flood maps and past floods (their licence doesn’t allow reuse here: see floodinfo.ie), groundwater and surface-water flooding, coastal erosion and industrial sites.
Hazard risk Grade

Hazard risk in Buncrana: C+

Radon, landslide ground and low-lying homes, each against Irish towns, then averaged.

Radon (under 0.1%)Better than 87% of Irish towns
Landslide ground (1.1%)Better than 12% of Irish towns
Low-lying homes (9.6%)Better than 28% of Irish towns · counted against it

Each figure is placed among Irish towns of 1,000 or more people; the grade averages the three, so a better place on each is a better grade.

Flood counts only against a town, and Buncrana’s share of low-lying homes is high enough to lower its grade.

Its place: #4 of 6 in County Donegal and #210 of 321 Irish towns.

Less sure: The low-lying figure is our estimate from ground heights and the river map, not an official flood map. It can show a town is low-lying; it can’t show a town is safe.

Low-lying homes

9.6% of Buncrana’s homes stand low beside the Crana Estuary

Low-lying homes, a TownRatings estimate from OPW and Geological Survey Ireland LiDAR ground heights and the EPA’s river map: not an official flood map.

By a river, lake or estuary9.5%of homes within 5 m of the water’s level
Near the sea0.1%of homes below 4 m, within 2 km of the sea
Measured in detail97%of homes on detailed ground heights
Where Buncrana sits among 231 Irish towns
43%None
6%Under 0.5%
4%0.5–1%
7%1–2%
8%2–5%
6%5–10%Buncrana
8%10–20%
18%20% +

Share of each town’s homes standing low by big water, for the towns measured in detail. 43% have none; Buncrana has more than 73% of them.

Towns its size: 24th of 40, from the fewest low-lying homes
#TownPeopleLow-lying
1Dubber Dublin7,9410%
2Edenderry Offaly7,8880%
3Perrystown Dublin7,5810%
…
22Sallins Kildare6,2694.3%
23Fermoy Cork6,7205.9%
24Buncrana Donegal6,9719.6%
25Farranshone Limerick7,87411%
26Howth Dublin8,19214%
…
39Baldoyle Dublin7,86477%
40O'Connell Street Dublin6,749100%

The 40 Irish towns nearest its size that are measured in detail.

3,860
homes counted
~370
homes standing low by big water
7.2%
County Donegal’s median
0.7%
median of Irish towns

Low-lying homes across County Donegal’s towns · 4 towns measured in detail

Donegal12%
Buncrana9.6%
Bundoran4.8%
Carndonagh0%

Buncrana ranks 2nd of County Donegal’s 4 towns measured in detail, counting from the most low-lying homes.

Homes: OpenStreetMap buildings of 30 m² or more, not tagged as non-residential, in the town’s Census 2022 Small Areas. Heights: GSI Open Topographic Data LiDAR (OPW, TII and GSI surveys). Water: EPA river network (rivers of Strahler order 5 or more), lakes, estuaries and coastal waters.

River levels

The River Crana at Tullyarvan peaked at 3.38 m in August 2017

Each winter’s highest level (October to September) at the OPW’s Tullyarvan gauge, in Buncrana, since 1972, in metres above the gauge’s zero. Nine days in ten it runs between 0.20 m and 0.79 m.

Each winter’s highest level, metres
Winter 1972–73: highest 1.35 m · 58 days above the normal rangeWinter 1973–74: highest 1.53 m · 66 days above the normal rangeWinter 1974–75: highest 1.54 m · 58 days above the normal rangeWinter 1975–76: highest 1.51 m · 62 days above the normal rangeWinter 1976–77: highest 1.45 m · 50 days above the normal rangeWinter 1977–78: highest 1.72 m · 80 days above the normal rangeWinter 1978–79: highest 1.49 m · 76 days above the normal rangeWinter 1979–80: highest 1.78 m · 86 days above the normal rangeWinter 1980–81: highest 2.16 m on 14 May 1981 · 102 days above the normal rangeWinter 1981–82: highest 2.14 m on 3 October 1981 · 74 days above the normal rangeWinter 1982–83: highest 1.49 m · 63 days above the normal rangeWinter 1983–84: highest 1.47 m · 55 days above the normal rangeWinter 1984–85: highest 1.93 m on 21 September 1985 · 83 days above the normal rangeWinter 1985–86: highest 1.91 m · 73 days above the normal rangeWinter 1986–87: highest 1.54 m · 62 days above the normal rangeWinter 1987–88: highest 2.74 m on 21 October 1987 · 56 days above the normal rangeWinter 1988–89: highest 1.35 m · 51 days above the normal rangeWinter 1989–90: highest 1.68 m · 57 days above the normal rangeWinter 1990–91: highest 1.79 m · 55 days above the normal rangeWinter 1991–92: highest 1.72 m · 68 days above the normal rangeWinter 1992–93: highest 1.93 m · 50 days above the normal rangeWinter 1993–94: highest 1.70 m · 57 days above the normal rangeWinter 1994–95: highest 1.49 m · 53 days above the normal rangeWinter 1995–96: highest 1.72 m · 36 days above the normal rangeWinter 1996–97: highest 1.37 m · 44 days above the normal rangeWinter 1997–98: highest 1.38 m · 55 days above the normal rangeWinter 1998–99: highest 1.74 m · 65 days above the normal rangeWinter 1999–00: highest 1.54 m · 51 days above the normal rangeWinter 2000–01: highest 1.37 m · 42 days above the normal rangeWinter 2001–02: highest 1.79 m · 51 days above the normal rangeWinter 2002–03: highest 1.64 m · 45 days above the normal rangeWinter 2003–04: highest 1.72 m · 108 days above the normal rangeWinter 2004–05: highest 2.00 m on 12 February 2005 · 130 days above the normal rangeWinter 2005–06: highest 1.78 m · 42 days above the normal rangeWinter 2006–07: highest 1.54 m · 63 days above the normal rangeWinter 2007–08: highest 1.51 m · 47 days above the normal rangeWinter 2008–09: highest 1.32 m · 45 days above the normal rangeWinter 2009–10: highest 1.60 m · 44 days above the normal rangeWinter 2010–11: highest 1.33 m · 39 days above the normal rangeWinter 2011–12: highest 1.97 m on 22 June 2012 · 65 days above the normal rangeWinter 2012–13: highest 1.73 m · 50 days above the normal rangeWinter 2013–14: highest 1.27 m · 52 days above the normal rangeWinter 2014–15: highest 1.58 m · 75 days above the normal rangeWinter 2015–16: highest 1.81 m · 62 days above the normal rangeWinter 2016–17: highest 3.38 m on 22 August 2017 · 45 days above the normal rangeWinter 2017–18: highest 1.75 m · 68 days above the normal rangeWinter 2018–19: highest 1.80 m · 75 days above the normal rangeWinter 2019–20: highest 1.72 m · 86 days above the normal rangeWinter 2020–21: highest 1.81 m · 73 days above the normal rangeWinter 2021–22: highest 1.96 m on 1 November 2021 · 64 days above the normal rangeWinter 2022–23: highest 1.72 m · 69 days above the normal rangeWinter 2023–24: highest 1.69 m · 61 days above the normal rangeWinter 2025–26: highest 1.48 m · 71 days above the normal range’16–17’87–88’80–81Record 3.38 m, 2017Top of normal range
1972–732025–26
The highest days on record
  • 22 August 20173.38 m
  • 21 October 19872.74 m
  • 14 May 19812.16 m
  • 3 October 19812.14 m
  • 12 February 20052.00 m
  • 22 June 20121.97 m

Since 1972 the River Crana has run above its usual top on 3,318 days, most of them in the winters of 2004–05 and 2003–04.

Measured by its highest day, last winter (2025–26) was the 43rd-highest of the 53 on record here.

Source: OPW Hydro-Data (waterlevel.ie/hydro-data), Tullyarvan gauge (station 39003): daily maximum and mean levels, inspected and provisional data. The usual range is the 5th to 95th percentile of daily means, worked out by TownRatings. Live levels are on waterlevel.ie.

Warnings

Weather and flood warnings for Buncrana

Where to see the warnings in force, and what this page can’t count.

Met Éireann issues yellow, orange and red warnings for rain, wind and coastal flooding county by county; Buncrana is covered by County Donegal’s.

WarningWhat Met Éireann means by it
YellowWeather that isn’t unusual but can be dangerous in places: be aware.
OrangeInfrequent, dangerous weather that can put people and property at risk: be prepared.
RedRare, extremely dangerous weather: take action to protect yourself and your property.

Met Éireann doesn’t publish an open archive of past warnings, so how often warnings have covered Buncrana can’t be counted here.

Met Éireann warnings · OPW river levels (waterlevel.ie)

Flood scheme

No OPW flood relief scheme protects Buncrana

The Office of Public Works’ completed flood relief schemes and the areas each one benefits (OPW open data, CC BY 4.0).

Schemes
0
protect homes in Buncrana
Protected places in the county
0
none in the county
Nearest protected place
177 km
Laytown-Bettystown-Mornington-Donacarney, as the crow flies
Low-lying homes
9.6%
the share a scheme would be built for

None of the OPW’s completed flood relief schemes has a benefiting area that takes in Buncrana’s homes. The OPW builds schemes where the risk to homes is greatest, so most towns have none.

No other place across County Donegal has an OPW flood relief scheme either.

The protected places nearest here
TownSchemeDesigned forHomes behind itAway
Laytown-Bettystown-Mornington-Donacarney MeathMornington Flood Relief Scheme1 in 1009.1%177 km
Duleek MeathDuleek Flood Relief Scheme1 in 10012%178 km
Mullingar WestmeathMullingar Flood Relief Scheme1 in 1000.2%180 km
Dunboyne MeathRiver Tolka (Clonee and Dunboyne) Scheme1 in 10014%202 km
Clonee MeathRiver Tolka (Clonee and Dunboyne) Scheme1 in 10057%203 km
Mulhuddart DublinRiver Tolka (Fingal) Flood Relief Scheme1 in 100under 0.1%205 km

Official flood maps and past floods: floodinfo.ie

Landslides

1.1% of Buncrana’s homes stand on landslide-prone ground

Geological Survey Ireland’s landslide susceptibility map (1:50,000), read at every home.

Homes on ground rated high or moderately high

BuncranaCounty Donegal’s medianmedian of Irish towns
High or moderately high1.1%
0%5%

That is a higher share than in 90% of Irish towns; the median is 0.5% for County Donegal’s towns and 0% for Irish towns.

GSI rates ground from low to high by its slope, soil and rock. Most Irish landslides are on steep upland slopes and peat after heavy rain; a town on flat ground has almost none.

High means the ground could slide under the right conditions, such as days of heavy rain on a steep, wet slope; it isn’t a forecast that it will.

GSI landslide susceptibility, high and moderately high classes, share of the town’s homes on mapped ground (CC BY 4.0).

Radon

Buncrana is in the lowest radon band

The EPA’s radon map: for each 10 km square, the estimated share of homes above the national reference level of 200 Bq/m³.

0% of homes estimated above the reference level · Under 1% of homes2.8% of homes estimated above the reference level · 1–5% of homes1.3% of homes estimated above the reference level · 1–5% of homes0% of homes estimated above the reference level · Under 1% of homes0.6% of homes estimated above the reference level · Under 1% of homesunder 0.1% of homes estimated above the reference level · Under 1% of homes1.2% of homes estimated above the reference level · 1–5% of homes12% of homes estimated above the reference level · 10–20% (High Radon Area)2.2% of homes estimated above the reference level · 1–5% of homesunder 0.1% of homes estimated above the reference level · Under 1% of homes23% of homes estimated above the reference level · Over 20% (High Radon Area)© OpenStreetMap contributors · EPA
Under 1% of homes1–5% of homes10–20% (High Radon Area)Over 20% (High Radon Area)
Share of Irish towns in each band
Under 1% of homes · Buncrana17%
1–5% of homes38%
5–10% of homes26%
10–20% (High Radon Area)11%
Over 20% (High Radon Area)9%

A square where 10% or more of homes are estimated above the reference level is a High Radon Area; 0% of Buncrana’s homes are in one. The map is an estimate by area: two neighbouring houses can differ a lot.

0%
of homes in a High Radon Area
under 0.1%
County Donegal’s median
4%
median of Irish towns

A test is the only way to know a home’s level: two detectors, left for three months in a living room and a bedroom.

EPA radon map of Ireland (10 km grid), averaged over the town’s homes (CC BY 4.0).

Industrial sites

No EPA-licensed site within 5 km of Buncrana: the nearest is 10 km away

Factories, farms, power plants and waste sites that hold an EPA licence for their emissions, in Buncrana and around its centre.

0
licensed sites inside Buncrana
0
licensed sites within 5 km of the centre
10 km
to the nearest: E&I Engineering Limited
The nearest licensed site
SiteLicence and activityAway
E&I Engineering LimitedIndustrial Emissions licence · solvents and coatings10 km

An EPA licence sets what a site may release to air, water and land; it doesn’t mark the site as an accident hazard.

Sites holding dangerous substances in bulk come under the COMAH (Seveso) rules, but the HSA’s list of them has no open licence, so upper- and lower-tier sites aren’t counted here.

Source: EPA registers of Industrial Emissions, IPC and waste licences, sites licensed on 31 October 2026; distances in a straight line from the town’s centre.

Neighbours

Hazards in the places around Buncrana

Low-lying homes, radon and landslide ground, town by town.

MuffNewtowncunninghamMilfordCarndonaghRameltonMuffNewtowncunninghamMilfordCarndonaghRameltonBuncrana
TownLow-lyingRadonLandslides
Buncrana9.6%under 0.1%1.1%
Muff
1,418 · 13 km		–12%0%
Newtowncunningham
1,192 · 16 km		2.2%0.1%0%
Milford
1,076 · 17 km		–0%2%
Carndonagh
2,768 · 17 km		0%under 0.1%0.7%
Ramelton
1,288 · 17 km		6.5%0%1.8%

Buncrana has more of its homes standing low by big water than any measured place around it; the next is Ramelton (6.5%).

A dash under Low-lying: not measured there (too few homes with detailed ground heights), not none.

Be ready

Get ready for what Buncrana faces

What to do, and what to ask before you move.

When the river rises
  • Never walk or drive through floodwater: 30 cm of moving water can float a car.
  • Move valuables, papers and medicines upstairs.
  • Turn off gas, electricity and water if you’re told to.
Met Éireann warnings · floodinfo.ie
Radon
  • Test over three months, in a living room and a bedroom.
  • Above 200 Bq/m³, a small sump and fan usually fixes it.
  • The EPA sells radon test kits at radon.ie and lists registered contractors who fix high readings.
radon.ie
When a storm is forecast
  • Bring in or tie down bins, trampolines and anything the wind can lift.
  • Keep away from coastal paths and piers while an orange or red warning is in force.
  • Charge phones and keep a torch: fallen lines are the commonest storm damage.
  • After the storm, report a fallen line to ESB Networks and keep well clear of it.
ESB Networks PowerCheck
Before you buy or rent in Buncrana
  • Ask whether the home has ever flooded, and get a buildings insurance quote before you commit: flood cover isn’t always offered.
  • Ask the seller or landlord for a radon test result, or test in your first months there.
  • Check the address on floodinfo.ie: the OPW’s flood maps and its record of past floods.
How to read these numbers

What this data can and can’t tell you

  • An estimate, not a flood map. Low-lying homes is a TownRatings modelling step: each home’s ground height from LiDAR, against the level of the nearest big river (Strahler order 5 or more), lake or estuary within 1 km, or the sea within 2 km. A home within 5 m of the water’s level, or below 4 m near the sea, counts.
  • Flood counts only one way. A high share of low-lying homes lowers the Hazard risk Grade; a low share never raises it, because defences, small streams, culverts, groundwater and flash floods don’t show in ground heights. Below the national median a town scores as the median.
  • Defences aren’t counted. Flood defences aren’t taken off: the OPW scheme that protects the most homes is shown instead, with its design standard.
  • Measured where the heights are detailed. A town is measured, and counted, only where 80% of its homes stand on LiDAR heights. Elsewhere the page says flooding isn’t measured, never that the town is dry.
  • Radon is an estimate by area. The EPA’s radon map gives the estimated share of homes above 200 Bq/m³ for each 10 km square, averaged here over the town’s homes. It says where to test, not what one house holds.
  • The sea is measured by height. Homes count as low by the sea when their ground is under 4 m and within 2 km of coastal or estuary water; waves, surges and erosion aren’t modelled.
  • Landslide ground is a map of where slides could start. GSI’s susceptibility map rates the ground itself; it doesn’t record past slides or say when one will happen.
  • Bathing water is rated season by season. The EPA classes each identified bathing water from four seasons of samples; a rating says how clean the water has been, not how safe it is to swim.
  • One town, many streets. Risk is street by street. Check a specific address on floodinfo.ie before you buy or rent.

Check any address against the OPW’s official flood maps on floodinfo.ie

Questions about flooding and hazards in Buncrana

Does Buncrana flood?

About 9.6% of Buncrana’s homes stand low beside the Crana Estuary: a higher share than in 73% of Irish towns. That is our estimate from ground heights, not an official flood map. For a single address, the OPW’s official flood maps and past floods are on floodinfo.ie.

Is radon a problem in Buncrana?

The EPA’s map estimates that about under 0.1% of homes around Buncrana are above the radon reference level of 200 Bq/m³: a lower share than in 91% of Irish towns. 0% of its homes are in a High Radon Area. The only way to know a house is a three-month test.

Is Buncrana at risk of landslides?

1.1% of Buncrana’s homes stand on ground rated high or moderately high for landslides. Most slides happen on steep slopes and peat after heavy rain.

Is Buncrana at risk from the sea?

About 0.1% of Buncrana’s homes stand below 4 m within 2 km of the sea, against 9.5% standing low by rivers, lakes and estuaries. Coastal floods come with storm surges and spring tides; the OPW’s coastal maps on floodinfo.ie show the official picture.

How does Buncrana compare with the places around it?

Radon estimates around Buncrana run from 0% in Milford to 12% in Muff; Buncrana’s own is under 0.1%. Among the places measured in detail, Ramelton has the largest share of homes standing low (6.5%).

Where is the nearest bathing water to Buncrana?

Lady's Bay, Buncrana, 1.3 km away, was rated sufficient for the 2025 season; 4 identified bathing waters lie within 15 km.

How is Buncrana’s Hazard risk Grade worked out?

Buncrana grades C+: radon, landslide ground and low-lying homes are each placed among Irish towns, and the grade averages them.

Flood: TownRatings’ estimate from ground heights, not an official flood map. Contains Irish Public Sector Data (Geological Survey Ireland, the Office of Public Works and the EPA) licensed under CC BY 4.0; Copernicus DEM © DLR e.V. and © Airbus, provided under COPERNICUS by the EU and ESA; © OpenStreetMap contributors. Radon and bathing water: EPA (CC BY 4.0). Landslide susceptibility: Geological Survey Ireland (CC BY 4.0).

Sources: low-lying homes: TownRatings’ estimate from GSI and OPW LiDAR, Copernicus GLO-30 and the EPA river network · radon: EPA radon map · landslides: GSI landslide susceptibility · bathing water: EPA bathing water quality · river levels: OPW Hydro-Data (waterlevel.ie/hydro-data) · industrial sites: EPA licence registers · the grade: TownRatings, from these figures. Under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0).

Contains Central Statistics Office (CSO) data, Census 2022, and Tailte Éireann boundaries (CSO Urban Areas, Small Areas, local electoral areas, constituencies), under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0).