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Market place, CarlislePhoto: Bill Harrison · CC BY-SA 2.0
C−Hazard risk Grade
Flood & hazards in Carlisle · Environment Agency

In Carlisle, heavy rain puts more homes at risk than rivers or the sea: 5.9%, against 1.8%

On the Environment Agency’s maps, which allow for flood defences, “high or medium” means at least a 1 in 100 chance of flooding from rivers or the sea in any year. Carlisle’s Hazard risk Grade is C−: #7 of 23 in Cumbria.

2005worst recorded flood108flood warnings since 200612%at low risk
In brief

What stands out about Carlisle’s hazards

From the Environment Agency’s maps and records and the BGS radon atlas, below.

Rain, more than the river5.9% of homes sit where heavy rain can flood the streets, against 1.8% at risk from rivers and the sea.Remembers 2005Floodwater covered 172 hectares of today’s Carlisle in 2005; 2,335 of today’s households live inside past flood outlines.108 flood warnings since 2006For the parts of Carlisle the Environment Agency warns directly; the most recent on 12 March 2026.Low radonEvery 1 km square over Carlisle is in the lowest radon band: under 1% of homes above the action level.
By hazard

What Carlisle faces

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

Rivers and the sea

1.8%of homes at high or medium risk
More than the typical UK town · more than 77% of towns
731 homes by the EA’s own count

Surface water

5.9%of homes at high or medium risk
More than 77% of UK towns
Rivers and sea: 1.8%

Past floods

12years with a recorded flood
Last recorded: February 2020
2,335 households inside past outlines

The River Eden

4.91 mhighest in winter 2025–26 at Sheepmount
10th-highest of 34 winters
Record 7.65 m, December 2015

Flood warnings

108flood warnings since 2006
448 flood alerts for the wider area
Last warning 12 March 2026

Radon

0%of the town in a radon Affected Area
Highest band here: Under 1% of homes
No square of 5% or more
Not on this page: coastal erosion, subsidence and shrink-swell ground (the British Geological Survey licenses it), groundwater flooding and reservoir failure.
Hazard risk Grade

Carlisle grades C− for hazard risk

Flood risk from rivers and the sea, against all UK towns.

Homes at high or medium flood risk (1.8%)Fewer than 23% of UK towns

The share of homes at high or medium risk from rivers and the sea, ranked against every UK town of 1,000 or more: fewer homes at risk is better. Towns with none at high or medium risk are ordered by their share at low risk, so they don’t all share one score. Surface water and radon aren’t graded: they are described below.

Flood map

Where the water goes in Carlisle

Turn layers on and off. Blue is the risk from rivers and the sea; pink is where heavy rain collects. Both allow for flood defences.

Recorded flood: 1963Recorded flood: 1968Recorded flood: 1984Recorded flood: 1995Recorded flood: 1999Recorded flood: 2001Recorded flood: 2002Recorded flood: 2005Recorded flood: 2009Recorded flood: 2013Recorded flood: 2015Recorded flood: 2020© OpenStreetMap contributors · EA NaFRA2
HighMediumLowrivers & seaHighMediumLowsurface waterCarlisle’s built-up area

The river and sea risk follows the River Eden, the River Caldew and the River Petteril. Surface-water risk is spread across the town, in dips, underpasses and along small streams, which is why more homes are exposed to it.

Rivers and the sea

1.8% of Carlisle’s homes are at high or medium risk from rivers or the sea

The Environment Agency’s national map, allowing for defences. A further 12% are at low risk.

High risk1%of homes · 1 in 30 a year or more415 homes, EA count
Medium risk0.8%of homes · 1 in 30 to 1 in 100316 homes, EA count
Low risk12%of homes · 1 in 100 to 1 in 1,0004,899 homes, EA count
Where Carlisle sits among 3,735 UK towns
35%None
23%Under 0.5%
9%0.5–1%
11%1–2%Carlisle
11%2–5%
5%5–10%
3%10–20%
2%20% +

Share of each UK town’s homes at high or medium risk from rivers and the sea. 35% of UK towns have none; Carlisle has more than 77% of towns.

Towns its size: 80th of 95 from the fewest homes at risk
#TownPeopleHigh or med.
1Dudley West Midlands64,2770%
2Smethwick West Midlands56,3430%
3St Albans Hertfordshire75,544under 0.1%
…
78Wakefield West Yorkshire97,8711.7%
79Weymouth Dorset55,5401.7%
80Carlisle Cumbria77,7291.8%
81Hastings East Sussex91,4972.1%
82Shrewsbury Shropshire76,0132.3%
…
94Maidenhead Berkshire67,3916%
95Grimsby Lincolnshire85,9158.9%

UK towns of 54,000 to 109,000 people.

The Environment Agency’s Risk of Flooding from Rivers and Sea (NaFRA2, June 2026) counts each postcode’s homes by band; the shares weight those postcodes by Census 2021 households. The EA counts include homes built since 2021.

Surface water

Heavy rain puts about 3.3 times as many Carlisle homes at risk as rivers and the sea do

Surface water is rain that falls faster than drains and the ground can take it. It is mapped separately from rivers and the sea, and it is not in the Hazard risk Grade.

Surface water5.9%
Rivers and the sea1.8%
0%10.5%21% of homes

About 3.9% of homes are at high risk of surface-water flooding (a 1 in 30 chance or more each year) and 2% at medium risk: roughly 2,170 households. A further 5.8% face a low risk from surface water. That is more than 77% of UK towns.

~2,170
households at high or medium risk
5.8%
of homes at low risk
77%
of UK towns have a smaller share
48,470
addresses read on the map

Our estimate: every address in the town (ONS NSUL) read on the Environment Agency’s Risk of Flooding from Surface Water map (NaFRA2, 2025), each postcode’s share weighted by its Census 2021 households. Neither agency publishes a count of homes for surface water, so treat it as a guide; one street can differ from the next.

Flood history

Carlisle has flooded in 12 recorded years since 1963, most of all in 2005

Every flood the Environment Agency has mapped inside Carlisle’s built-up area, newest first. The record is fullest for big river floods; small and surface-water floods are often missing.

  1. 2020February 2020: River flooding recorded1 hectare inside today’s built-up area
  2. 2015December 2015: River flooding recorded159 hectares inside today’s built-up area
  3. 2013July 2013: River flooding recordedUnder 1 hectare inside today’s built-up area
  4. 2009November 2009: River flooding recordedUnder 1 hectare inside today’s built-up area · Carlisle Cricket Club Flooding
  5. 2005January and October 2005: River flooding recorded172 hectares inside today’s built-up area
  6. 2002February 2002: The sea came inUnder 1 hectare inside today’s built-up area
Show all 12
  1. 2001October 2001: River flooding recorded1 hectare inside today’s built-up area
  2. 1999January 1999: River flooding recordedUnder 1 hectare inside today’s built-up area
  3. 1995January 1995: River flooding recorded2 hectares inside today’s built-up area
  4. 1984March 1984: River flooding recorded22 hectares inside today’s built-up area
  5. 1968March 1968: River flooding recorded94 hectares inside today’s built-up area
  6. 1963November 1963: River flooding recorded4 hectares inside today’s built-up area
The worst: 2005172 ha

Floodwater covered 172 hectares of what is now Carlisle in 2005, the largest flood the record holds here (January and October).

2,335 of Carlisle’s households today live inside the outline of a recorded flood.

Since 2005, the largest recorded flood inside the town covered 159 hectares.

River levels

The River Eden at Sheepmount: highest 7.65 m, in December 2015

The highest level each winter (October to September) at the Environment Agency’s Sheepmount gauge, since 1990. The river normally runs between 0.63 m and 3.45 m here.

Highest level each winter, metres
Winter 1990–91: highest 5.06 m · 11 days above the normal rangeWinter 1991–92: highest 3.87 m · 6 days above the normal rangeWinter 1992–93: highest 4.35 m · 6 days above the normal rangeWinter 1993–94: highest 4.37 m · 3 days above the normal rangeWinter 1995–96: highest 2.92 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 1996–97: highest 4.64 m · 6 days above the normal rangeWinter 1997–98: highest 3.70 m · 2 days above the normal rangeWinter 1998–99: highest 5.00 m · 8 days above the normal rangeWinter 1999–00: highest 4.70 m · 7 days above the normal rangeWinter 2000–01: highest 4.16 m · 8 days above the normal rangeWinter 2001–02: highest 4.87 m · 7 days above the normal rangeWinter 2002–03: highest 3.34 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 2003–04: highest 5.07 m on 4 February 2004 · 10 days above the normal rangeWinter 2004–05: highest 7.23 m on 8 January 2005 · 5 days above the normal rangeWinter 2005–06: highest 3.87 m · 2 days above the normal rangeWinter 2006–07: highest 4.49 m · 18 days above the normal rangeWinter 2007–08: highest 4.36 m · 6 days above the normal rangeWinter 2008–09: highest 5.01 m · 8 days above the normal rangeWinter 2009–10: highest 5.81 m on 20 November 2009 · 12 days above the normal rangeWinter 2011–12: highest 4.37 m · 6 days above the normal rangeWinter 2012–13: highest 4.19 m · 8 days above the normal rangeWinter 2013–14: highest 4.56 m · 10 days above the normal rangeWinter 2014–15: highest 3.77 m · 8 days above the normal rangeWinter 2015–16: highest 7.65 m on 6 December 2015 · 20 days above the normal rangeWinter 2016–17: highest 3.07 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 2017–18: highest 4.83 m · 3 days above the normal rangeWinter 2018–19: highest 4.65 m · 7 days above the normal rangeWinter 2019–20: highest 6.05 m on 9 February 2020 · 12 days above the normal rangeWinter 2020–21: highest 4.58 m · 14 days above the normal rangeWinter 2021–22: highest 4.45 m · 4 days above the normal rangeWinter 2022–23: highest 4.21 m · 5 days above the normal rangeWinter 2023–24: highest 5.34 m on 22 January 2024 · 13 days above the normal rangeWinter 2024–25: highest 3.84 m · 5 days above the normal rangeWinter 2025–26: highest 4.91 m · 4 days above the normal range’15–16’04–05’19–20Record 7.65 m, 2015Top of normal range
1990–912025–26
The highest days on record
  • 6 December 20157.65 m
  • 8 January 20057.23 m
  • 9 February 20206.05 m
  • 20 November 20095.81 m
  • 1 February 19955.57 m
  • 22 January 20245.34 m

The River Eden has topped its normal range on 244 days since 1990, most in the winters of 2015–16 and 2006–07. By its highest day, the winter of 2025–26 was the 10th-highest of the 34.

Environment Agency Hydrology API, Sheepmount (station 765512), daily maximum level; the record and normal range from the EA’s stage scale. Live river levels are on GOV.UK’s Check for flooding.

Flood warnings

No flood warning or alert is in force for Carlisle · 108 warnings in 20 years

The Environment Agency has 13 flood warning areas and 2 alert areas reaching into the town; warnings since the service began in 2006.

Now: no flood warnings or alerts for Carlisle (checked 6 November 2026, 14:27). Check for flooding on GOV.UK →
Warnings and alerts each year for areas in Carlisle
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
Flood warning (flooding expected)Flood alert (flooding possible)

Of the 108 warnings, 65 were for River Eden at Carlisle, Rickerby Park, Swifts and Stoneyholme Golf Courses and 13 for River Eden and Caldew at Carlisle, Devonshire Walk, West Coast Mainline, Bitts Park, Cricket Club. 2015 had the most warnings (31); 2006 the most alerts (49).

The most recent warning was on 12 March 2026.

Show the 15 warning and alert areas
AreaKindSince 2006Now
River Eden at Carlisle, Rickerby Park, Swifts and Stoneyholme Golf CoursesWarning area65None
River Eden and Caldew at Carlisle, Devonshire Walk, West Coast Mainline, Bitts Park, Cricket ClubWarning area13None
River Caldew at Carlisle, Viaduct Estate Road areaWarning area5None
Little Caldew at CarlisleWarning area4None
River Eden at Carlisle, Tesco Store Warwick RoadWarning area4None
River Caldew at Carlisle, Denton Holme, Bousteads Grassing, James StreetWarning area3None
River Caldew and Eden at Carlisle, Willowholme, Caldewgate, ShaddongateWarning area3None
River Petteril at Harraby GreenWarning area3None
River Eden and Petteril at Carlisle, City Centre, Botcherby and Warwick RoadWarning area2None
Willowholme Surface WaterWarning area2None
River Eden at Carlisle, Etterby Terrace and Eden PlaceWarning area2None
Durranhill Beck at Durranhill, Botcherby and Eastern Way CarlisleWarning area1None
Parham Beck at CarlisleWarning area1None
Lower River EdenAlert area247None
Rivers Caldew and PetterilAlert area201None

Environment Agency Historic Flood Warnings (first issues only, not updates; “flood watch” counted as an alert before 2011) and the real-time flood-monitoring API. Sign up for free warnings on GOV.UK or call Floodline, 0345 988 1188.

Radon

Carlisle is in the lowest radon band

Radon is a natural radioactive gas from the ground; long exposure raises the risk of lung cancer. The atlas gives the chance that a home in each 1 km square is above the UK action level (200 Bq/m³).

NY3654: Under 1% of homes above the action levelNY3655: Under 1% of homes above the action levelNY3656: Under 1% of homes above the action levelNY3753: Under 1% of homes above the action levelNY3754: Under 1% of homes above the action levelNY3755: Under 1% of homes above the action levelNY3756: Under 1% of homes above the action levelNY3759: Under 1% of homes above the action levelNY3760: Under 1% of homes above the action levelNY3853: Under 1% of homes above the action levelNY3854: Under 1% of homes above the action levelNY3855: Under 1% of homes above the action levelNY3856: Under 1% of homes above the action levelNY3857: Under 1% of homes above the action levelNY3858: Under 1% of homes above the action levelNY3859: Under 1% of homes above the action levelNY3860: Under 1% of homes above the action levelNY3953: Under 1% of homes above the action levelNY3954: Under 1% of homes above the action levelNY3955: Under 1% of homes above the action levelNY3956: Under 1% of homes above the action levelNY3957: Under 1% of homes above the action levelNY3958: Under 1% of homes above the action levelNY3959: Under 1% of homes above the action levelNY3960: Under 1% of homes above the action levelNY4052: Under 1% of homes above the action levelNY4053: Under 1% of homes above the action levelNY4054: Under 1% of homes above the action levelNY4055: Under 1% of homes above the action levelNY4056: Under 1% of homes above the action levelNY4057: Under 1% of homes above the action levelNY4058: Under 1% of homes above the action levelNY4152: Under 1% of homes above the action levelNY4153: Under 1% of homes above the action levelNY4154: Under 1% of homes above the action levelNY4155: Under 1% of homes above the action levelNY4156: Under 1% of homes above the action levelNY4157: Under 1% of homes above the action levelNY4252: Under 1% of homes above the action levelNY4253: Under 1% of homes above the action levelNY4254: Under 1% of homes above the action levelNY4255: Under 1% of homes above the action levelNY4256: Under 1% of homes above the action levelNY4352: Under 1% of homes above the action levelNY4353: Under 1% of homes above the action levelNY4354: Under 1% of homes above the action levelNY4355: Under 1% of homes above the action level© OpenStreetMap contributors · BGS/UKHSA
Under 1%
Share of the town’s area in each band
Under 1% of homes100%

Every 1 km square over Carlisle is in the lowest band: fewer than 1 in 100 homes are expected to be above the action level.

BGS/UKHSA Indicative Atlas of Radon in Great Britain, version 3. Check an address at UKradon.org.

Neighbours

Flood risk in the places around Carlisle

Share of homes at high or medium and at low risk from rivers and the sea. Tap a town for its page.

Houghton: Hazard risk B+Scotby: Hazard risk CDalston: Hazard risk CWetheral: Hazard risk C+Warwick Bridge: Hazard risk DLongtown: Hazard risk DGretna: Hazard risk A−HoughtonScotbyDalstonWetheralWarwick BridgeLongtownGretnaCarlisle
ABCD
TownPeopleHigh or mediumLowHazard
Carlisle77,7291.8%12%C−
Houghton1,4860%0.2%B+
Scotby1,8301.2%0.6%C
Dalston1,5410.9%6%C
Wetheral1,1290.4%0.4%C+
Warwick Bridge1,2329.1%5.1%D
Longtown2,1764.3%2.2%D
Gretna3,435under 0.1%under 0.1%A−

Warwick Bridge, 5 miles east, has the most homes at risk around Carlisle (9.1% at high or medium). Houghton has none.

Be ready

Get ready for what Carlisle faces

Free warnings, what to do in a cloudburst, and what to check before you move.

Get the warnings
  • Sign up free for Environment Agency flood warnings by text, call or email.
  • Floodline: 0345 988 1188, 24 hours.
  • Carlisle’s warning areas include River Eden and Petteril at Carlisle, City Centre, Botcherby and Warwick Road and River Caldew and Eden at Carlisle, Willowholme, Caldewgate, Shaddongate.
Sign up ↗
In a cloudburst
  • Surface water rises in minutes, often with no warning issued: stay out of underpasses and dips.
  • Keep the gullies and drains outside your home clear of leaves.
  • Report a blocked road drain to the council.
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.
Before you buy or rent in Carlisle
  • Check the address on GOV.UK’s long-term flood risk service: it gives rivers and sea and surface water separately.
  • Ask whether the home has flooded or had a flood insurance claim; the TA6 property form asks the seller.
  • Homes built before 2009 can get flood cover through Flood Re, the government-backed scheme; newer homes can’t.
How to read these numbers

What this data can and can’t tell you

  • Defences are counted. Both agencies’ maps allow for flood defences and the chance they are overtopped or fail, so a town behind a defence scheme can show few homes at high risk and many at low risk.
  • Surface water is our estimate. Neither agency publishes a count of homes at risk from surface water, so we read each address on the map. A flat on a hill and a basement in a dip can share a postcode.
  • Past floods are what was recorded. The flood outlines come from surveys, aerial photographs and reports; many small floods, and most surface-water floods, were never mapped.
  • One town, many streets. Risk is street by street. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s long-term flood risk service before you buy or rent.

Check the long-term flood risk for an address on GOV.UK →

Questions about flooding and hazards in Carlisle

Does Carlisle flood?

The last flood the Environment Agency recorded inside the town was in February 2020. 1.8% of homes are at high or medium risk from rivers and the sea on the Environment Agency’s maps, which allow for flood defences. About 5.9% of homes are at high or medium risk from surface water, when heavy rain overwhelms the drains. Carlisle grades C− for hazard risk against UK towns.

Which parts of Carlisle are at risk of flooding?

From rivers and the sea, the places the Environment Agency warns directly: River Eden at Carlisle, Rickerby Park, Swifts and Stoneyholme Golf Courses, River Eden and Caldew at Carlisle, Devonshire Walk, West Coast Mainline, Bitts Park, Cricket Club, River Caldew at Carlisle, Viaduct Estate Road area and Little Caldew at Carlisle. Surface water can collect in low spots anywhere in the town. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s long-term flood risk service.

When did Carlisle last flood?

The recorded flood outlines inside the town run from 1963 to 2020 (12 years); the largest was in 2005. Flood warnings have been issued for parts of the town since 2006, most recently on 12 March 2026.

Is Carlisle at risk of surface water flooding?

About 3.9% of homes are at high risk and 2% at medium risk from surface water, against 1.8% at high or medium risk from rivers and the sea. Surface water floods come with little warning, and the agencies don’t issue warnings for them.

Is radon a problem in Carlisle?

Not by the atlas: every 1 km square over Carlisle is in the lowest band, where fewer than 1 in 100 homes are expected to be above the action level.

Are there flood warnings in Carlisle now?

No flood warning or alert was in force near Carlisle at 6 November 2026, 14:27. Live warnings are on GOV.UK’s Check for flooding service and Floodline, 0345 988 1188.

Contains Environment Agency information © Environment Agency and/or database right 2026. Contains British Geological Survey materials © UKRI 2026.

Sources: Environment Agency Risk of Flooding from Rivers and Sea, postcodes in areas at risk (June 2026); Natural Resources Wales Flood Risk Assessment Wales (May 2026); ONS Census 2021 households by postcode · Environment Agency Risk of Flooding from Surface Water (NaFRA2, 2025) and Natural Resources Wales Flood Risk Assessment Wales surface water and small watercourses, read at every address (ONS National Statistics UPRN Lookup, September 2026) and weighted by Census 2021 households by postcode · Environment Agency Recorded Flood Outlines and Natural Resources Wales historic flood map, inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary · Environment Agency Hydrology API (daily maximum river level) and flood-monitoring stage scales · Environment Agency real-time flood-monitoring API · Environment Agency Historic Flood Warnings (January 2006 to June 2026) and flood warning and alert areas · BGS/UKHSA Indicative Atlas of Radon in Great Britain, version 3, by 1 km square · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.