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St Mary's Church FerbanePhoto: DiarmuidC15 · CC BY-SA 4.0
A+Hazard risk Grade
Flood & hazards in Ferbane · EPA, GSI and OPW data

Low radon and steady ground in Ferbane; flooding isn’t measured here

Low radon does most for Ferbane’s grade: with an estimated 0% of homes above the reference level, it grades A+. Flood isn’t counted for or against it: too few of its homes have the detailed ground heights the measure needs.

0%of homes over the radon level
In brief

What stands out about Ferbane’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.

Flooding not measuredNo detailed ground heights cover Ferbane, so how many of its homes stand low by big water isn’t measured.Low radonAn estimated 0% of homes are above the radon reference level, among the lowest anywhere.Steady groundNo home stands on ground rated high or moderately high for landslides; 36% of Irish towns have some homes on it.
By hazard

What Ferbane faces

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

Low-lying homes

Not measured
No detailed heights here
Check the official flood maps

Radon

0%of homes estimated over the reference level
less radon than in 97% of Irish towns
0% of homes in a High Radon Area

Landslides

0%of homes on high or moderately high ground
No home on landslide-prone ground
Rated from the ground and its slope

Ground heights

0%of homes on detailed ground heights
Too few to count flood (80% needed)
Of 619 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 Ferbane: A+

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

Radon (0%)Better than 96% of Irish towns
Landslide ground (0%)Better than 57% of Irish towns
Low-lying homesNot counted: not measured here

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 isn’t counted for or against Ferbane: too few of its homes have the detailed ground heights the measure needs, so its grade uses radon and landslide ground only.

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. No LiDAR here: the heights come from a 30 m satellite model, which reads roofs and trees as ground, so this town’s figure isn’t counted.

Low-lying homes

How many of Ferbane’s homes stand low isn’t measured

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.

Flooding isn’t measured in Ferbane: no LiDAR survey covers its homes, and the measure needs 80% of them, so flood isn’t counted for or against it. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t flood.

A rougher estimate, mostly from a 30 m satellite model, puts about 23% of homes low beside the River Brosna. That model reads roofs and trees as ground, so it misses low homes more often than it invents them.

Official flood maps and past floods: floodinfo.ie

River levels

The River Brosna at Ferbane peaked at 4.17 m in January 2016

Each winter’s highest level (October to September) at the OPW’s Ferbane gauge, in Ferbane, since 1953, in metres above the gauge’s zero. Nine days in ten it runs between 0.82 m and 2.45 m.

Each winter’s highest level, metres
Winter 1953–54: highest 2.76 m · 2 days above the normal rangeWinter 1954–55: highest 3.73 m on 9 December 1954 · 21 days above the normal rangeWinter 1955–56: highest 2.60 m · 4 days above the normal rangeWinter 1956–57: highest 3.07 m · 9 days above the normal rangeWinter 1957–58: highest 3.46 m · 20 days above the normal rangeWinter 1958–59: highest 2.62 m · 2 days above the normal rangeWinter 1959–60: highest 3.20 m · 13 days above the normal rangeWinter 1960–61: highest 3.33 m · 31 days above the normal rangeWinter 1961–62: highest 2.34 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 1962–63: highest 2.53 m · 4 days above the normal rangeWinter 1963–64: highest 2.73 m · 6 days above the normal rangeWinter 1964–65: highest 3.31 m · 15 days above the normal rangeWinter 1965–66: highest 3.04 m · 24 days above the normal rangeWinter 1966–67: highest 3.37 m · 6 days above the normal rangeWinter 1967–68: highest 3.18 m · 13 days above the normal rangeWinter 1968–69: highest 3.62 m · 21 days above the normal rangeWinter 1969–70: highest 2.86 m · 5 days above the normal rangeWinter 1970–71: highest 2.53 m · 4 days above the normal rangeWinter 1971–72: highest 2.41 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 1972–73: highest 2.15 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 1973–74: highest 3.12 m · 21 days above the normal rangeWinter 1974–75: highest 3.05 m · 16 days above the normal rangeWinter 1975–76: highest 2.37 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 1976–77: highest 3.16 m · 13 days above the normal rangeWinter 1977–78: highest 2.91 m · 4 days above the normal rangeWinter 1978–79: highest 3.13 m · 14 days above the normal rangeWinter 1979–80: highest 3.02 m · 25 days above the normal rangeWinter 1980–81: highest 2.84 m · 12 days above the normal rangeWinter 1981–82: highest 2.98 m · 7 days above the normal rangeWinter 1982–83: highest 3.01 m · 30 days above the normal rangeWinter 1983–84: highest 3.17 m · 26 days above the normal rangeWinter 1984–85: highest 2.76 m · 3 days above the normal rangeWinter 1985–86: highest 3.00 m · 13 days above the normal rangeWinter 1986–87: highest 3.04 m · 10 days above the normal rangeWinter 1987–88: highest 3.04 m · 28 days above the normal rangeWinter 1988–89: highest 2.60 m · 3 days above the normal rangeWinter 1989–90: highest 3.85 m on 9 February 1990 · 30 days above the normal rangeWinter 1990–91: highest 2.87 m · 26 days above the normal rangeWinter 1991–92: highest 3.26 m · 5 days above the normal rangeWinter 1992–93: highest 3.30 m · 9 days above the normal rangeWinter 1993–94: highest 3.06 m · 59 days above the normal rangeWinter 1994–95: highest 3.73 m on 29 January 1995 · 45 days above the normal rangeWinter 1995–96: highest 2.98 m · 19 days above the normal rangeWinter 1996–97: highest 2.79 m · 11 days above the normal rangeWinter 1997–98: highest 3.21 m · 32 days above the normal rangeWinter 1998–99: highest 3.06 m · 34 days above the normal rangeWinter 1999–00: highest 3.44 m · 25 days above the normal rangeWinter 2000–01: highest 3.35 m · 34 days above the normal rangeWinter 2001–02: highest 3.34 m · 32 days above the normal rangeWinter 2002–03: highest 2.96 m · 5 days above the normal rangeWinter 2003–04: highest 2.49 m · 4 days above the normal rangeWinter 2004–05: highest 3.55 m · 25 days above the normal rangeWinter 2008–09: highest 3.63 m · 16 days above the normal rangeWinter 2009–10: highest 3.74 m on 21 November 2009 · 47 days above the normal rangeWinter 2010–11: highest 3.67 m on 7 February 2011 · 24 days above the normal rangeWinter 2013–14: highest 3.57 m · 66 days above the normal rangeWinter 2014–15: highest 3.58 m · 43 days above the normal rangeWinter 2015–16: highest 4.17 m on 2 January 2016 · 85 days above the normal rangeWinter 2016–17: highest 2.94 m · 3 days above the normal rangeWinter 2017–18: highest 3.56 m · 53 days above the normal rangeWinter 2018–19: highest 3.48 m · 25 days above the normal rangeWinter 2019–20: highest 3.91 m on 26 February 2020 · 75 days above the normal rangeWinter 2020–21: highest 3.55 m · 58 days above the normal rangeWinter 2021–22: highest 3.36 m · 20 days above the normal rangeWinter 2022–23: highest 3.49 m · 75 days above the normal rangeWinter 2023–24: highest 3.41 m · 85 days above the normal rangeWinter 2024–25: highest 2.57 m · 5 days above the normal rangeWinter 2025–26: highest 3.65 m on 16 November 2025 · 90 days above the normal range’15–16’19–20’89–90Record 4.17 m, 2016Top of normal range
1953–542025–26
The highest days on record
  • 2 January 20164.17 m
  • 26 February 20203.91 m
  • 9 February 19903.85 m
  • 21 November 20093.74 m
  • 9 December 19543.73 m
  • 29 January 19953.73 m

Since 1953 the River Brosna has run above its usual top on 1,590 days, most of them in the winters of 2025–26 and 2015–16.

Measured by its highest day, last winter (2025–26) was the 8th-highest of the 68 on record here.

Source: OPW Hydro-Data (waterlevel.ie/hydro-data), Ferbane gauge (station 25006): 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 Ferbane

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; Ferbane is covered by County Offaly’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 Ferbane can’t be counted here.

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

Flood scheme

No OPW flood relief scheme protects Ferbane

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 Ferbane
Protected places in the county
1
Tullamore
Nearest protected place
23 km
Tullamore, as the crow flies
Low-lying homes
Not measured
the share a scheme would be built for

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

In County Offaly, an OPW scheme also protects part of Tullamore.

The protected places nearest here
TownSchemeDesigned forHomes behind itAway
Tullamore OffalyTullamore Flood Relief Scheme1 in 1002.4%23 km
Ballinasloe GalwayBallinasloe (Derrymullen) Flood Relief Scheme1 in 1003.2%27 km
Mullingar WestmeathMullingar Flood Relief Scheme1 in 1000.2%43 km
Gort GalwayGort River (Bridge Street) Drainage Scheme1 in 1000.9%70 km
Baile Chláir GalwayClare River (Claregalway) Flood Relief Scheme1 in 1007.9%74 km
Carlow CarlowCarlow (Phase B) Flood Relief Scheme1 in 1002.1%78 km

Official flood maps and past floods: floodinfo.ie

Landslides

No home in Ferbane stands 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

FerbaneCounty Offaly’s medianmedian of Irish towns
High or moderately high0%
0%5%

Ferbane is among the 64% of Irish towns with no home on such ground.

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

Ferbane 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.

3% of homes estimated above the reference level · 1–5% of homes13% of homes estimated above the reference level · 10–20% (High Radon Area)0.2% of homes estimated above the reference level · Under 1% of homes0% of homes estimated above the reference level · Under 1% of homes7.9% of homes estimated above the reference level · 5–10% of homes0% of homes estimated above the reference level · Under 1% of homes1.1% of homes estimated above the reference level · 1–5% of homes0% of homes estimated above the reference level · Under 1% of homes1.2% of homes estimated above the reference level · 1–5% of homes0% of homes estimated above the reference level · Under 1% of homes13% of homes estimated above the reference level · 10–20% (High Radon Area)0.1% of homes estimated above the reference level · Under 1% of homes4% of homes estimated above the reference level · 1–5% of homes© OpenStreetMap contributors · EPA
Under 1% of homes1–5% of homes5–10% of homes10–20% (High Radon Area)
Share of Irish towns in each band
Under 1% of homes · Ferbane17%
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 Ferbane’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
2.6%
County Offaly’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 Ferbane: the nearest is 8.4 km away

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

0
licensed sites inside Ferbane
0
licensed sites within 5 km of the centre
8.4 km
to the nearest: Bord na Mona Energy Limited Leabeg
The nearest licensed site
SiteLicence and activityAway
Bord na Mona Energy Limited LeabegIPC licence8.4 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 Ferbane

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

KilcormacBanagherMoateClaraAthloneKilcormacBanagherMoateClaraAthloneFerbane
TownLow-lyingRadonLandslides
Ferbane–0%0%
Kilcormac
1,051 · 13 km		0%1.2%0%
Banagher
1,907 · 13 km		–0.2%0%
Moate
3,013 · 16 km		–13%0%
Clara
3,403 · 17 km		1.6%4%0%
Athlone
22,869 · 19 km		22%1.6%0%

Of the places around Ferbane, Athlone has the most homes standing low by big water (22%), 19 km away.

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

Be ready

Get ready for what Ferbane 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 Ferbane
  • 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 Ferbane

Does Ferbane flood?

For a single address, the OPW’s official flood maps and past floods are on floodinfo.ie.

Is radon a problem in Ferbane?

The EPA’s map estimates that about 0% of homes around Ferbane are above the radon reference level of 200 Bq/m³: a lower share than in 97% 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 Ferbane at risk of landslides?

No home in Ferbane stands on ground rated high or moderately high for landslides.

How does Ferbane compare with the places around it?

Radon estimates around Ferbane run from 0.2% in Banagher to 13% in Moate; Ferbane’s own is 0%. Among the places measured in detail, Athlone has the largest share of homes standing low (22%).

How is Ferbane’s Hazard risk Grade worked out?

Ferbane grades A+: 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 · 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).