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C−Hazard risk Grade
Flood & hazards in Derby · Environment Agency

In Derby, heavy rain puts more homes at risk than rivers or the sea: 6.2%, against 2.4%

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. For hazard risk, Derby grades C−: #54 of 59 in Derbyshire.

1965worst recorded flood38flood warnings since 200627%in a radon Affected Area
In brief

What stands out about Derby’s hazards

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

Rain, more than the river6.2% of homes sit where heavy rain can flood the streets, against 2.4% at risk from rivers and the sea.Remembers 1965Floodwater covered 418 hectares of today’s Derby in 1965; 3,671 of today’s households live inside past flood outlines.38 flood warnings since 2006For the parts of Derby the Environment Agency warns directly; the most recent on 27 January 2026.
By hazard

What Derby faces

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

Rivers and the sea

2.4%of homes at high or medium risk
More than the typical UK town · more than 81% of towns
2,904 homes by the EA’s own count

Surface water

6.2%of homes at high or medium risk
More than 79% of UK towns
Rivers and sea: 2.4%

Past floods

9years with a recorded flood
Last recorded: October 2023
3,671 households inside past outlines

The River Derwent

2.12 mhighest in winter 2025–26 at Derby City
11th-highest of 36 winters
Record 3.58 m, October 2023

Flood warnings

38flood warnings since 2006
370 flood alerts for the wider area
Last warning 27 January 2026

Radon

27%of the city in a radon Affected Area
Highest band here: 5–10% of homes
3% in squares 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

Derby grades C− for hazard risk

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

Homes at high or medium flood risk (2.4%)Fewer than 19% 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 Derby

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: 1931Recorded flood: 1932Recorded flood: 1947Recorded flood: 1960Recorded flood: 1965Cuttle Brook, Hell Brook: 1977Recorded flood: 1987Recorded flood: 2000Recorded flood: 2023© OpenStreetMap contributors · EA NaFRA2
HighMediumLowrivers & seaHighMediumLowsurface waterDerby’s built-up area

The river and sea risk follows the River Derwent, the River Trent and the Black Brook. Surface-water risk is spread across the city, in dips, underpasses and along small streams, which is why more homes are exposed to it.

Rivers and the sea

2.4% of Derby’s homes are at high or medium risk from rivers or the sea

The Environment Agency’s national map, allowing for defences. A further 2.3% are at low risk.

High risk0.3%of homes · 1 in 30 a year or more348 homes, EA count
Medium risk2.1%of homes · 1 in 30 to 1 in 1002,556 homes, EA count
Low risk2.3%of homes · 1 in 100 to 1 in 1,0003,374 homes, EA count
Where Derby sits among 3,735 UK towns
35%None
23%Under 0.5%
9%0.5–1%
11%1–2%
11%2–5%Derby
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; Derby has more than 81% of towns.

Towns its size: 41st of 45 from the fewest homes at risk
#TownPeopleHigh or med.
1Southwark London307,0760%
2Islington London216,3090%
3Camden London209,3420%
…
39Bromley London325,4692%
40Wandsworth London326,7252.1%
41Derby Derbyshire275,5612.4%
42Portsmouth Hampshire223,3242.6%
43Lewisham London300,7643.6%
44Nottingham Nottinghamshire299,7863.6%
45Kingston upon Hull East Riding of Yorkshire270,8166.3%

UK towns of 193,000 to 386,000 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 2.6 times as many Derby 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 water6.2%
Rivers and the sea2.4%
0%10.5%21% of homes

About 3.2% of homes are at high risk of surface-water flooding (a 1 in 30 chance or more each year) and 3% at medium risk: roughly 6,910 households. A further 9.1% face a low risk from surface water. That is more than 79% of UK towns.

~6,910
households at high or medium risk
9.1%
of homes at low risk
79%
of UK towns have a smaller share
140,877
addresses read on the map

Our estimate: every address in the city (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

Derby has flooded in 9 recorded years since 1931, most of all in 1965

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

  1. 2023October 2023: River flooding recorded11 hectares inside today’s built-up area · Darley Abbey
  2. 2000November 2000: River flooding recorded1 hectare inside today’s built-up area
  3. 1987January 1987: River flooding recordedUnder 1 hectare inside today’s built-up area
  4. 1977January and February 1977: The Cuttle Brook and the Hell Brook overflowed87 hectares inside today’s built-up area · Cuttle Brook, Hell Brook, Lower Trent
  5. 1965January and December 1965: River flooding recorded418 hectares inside today’s built-up area · Derwent Darley Abbey, Derwent Duffield & Milford, Lower Trent - Duffield
  6. 1960December 1960: River flooding recorded95 hectares inside today’s built-up area · Derwent Derby, Derwent Derby FMC
Show all 9
  1. 1947January 1947: River flooding recorded374 hectares inside today’s built-up area
  2. 1932May 1932: River flooding recorded90 hectares inside today’s built-up area
  3. 1931September 1931: River flooding recorded66 hectares inside today’s built-up area
The worst: 1965418 ha

Floodwater covered 418 hectares of what is now Derby in 1965, the largest flood the record holds here (January and December).

3,671 of Derby’s households today live inside the outline of a recorded flood.

Since 1965, the largest recorded flood inside the city covered 87 hectares.

River levels

The River Derwent at Derby City: highest 3.58 m, in October 2023

The highest level each winter (October to September) at the Environment Agency’s Derby City gauge, since 1990. The river normally runs between 0.58 m and 1.85 m here.

Highest level each winter, metres
Winter 1990–91: highest 1.62 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 1991–92: highest 2.01 m · 2 days above the normal rangeWinter 1992–93: highest 1.71 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 1993–94: highest 1.84 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 1994–95: highest 2.18 m · 4 days above the normal rangeWinter 1995–96: highest 1.24 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 1996–97: highest 1.62 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 1997–98: highest 2.02 m · 2 days above the normal rangeWinter 1998–99: highest 2.29 m · 5 days above the normal rangeWinter 1999–00: highest 1.82 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 2000–01: highest 3.21 m on 7 November 2000 · 7 days above the normal rangeWinter 2001–02: highest 2.08 m · 5 days above the normal rangeWinter 2002–03: highest 2.16 m · 2 days above the normal rangeWinter 2003–04: highest 1.89 m · 1 days above the normal rangeWinter 2004–05: highest 1.62 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 2005–06: highest 1.64 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 2006–07: highest 2.81 m on 26 June 2007 · 2 days above the normal rangeWinter 2007–08: highest 1.98 m · 4 days above the normal rangeWinter 2008–09: highest 1.70 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 2009–10: highest 1.65 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 2010–11: highest 2.00 m · 1 days above the normal rangeWinter 2011–12: highest 1.88 m · 1 days above the normal rangeWinter 2012–13: highest 2.01 m · 7 days above the normal rangeWinter 2013–14: highest 1.69 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 2014–15: highest 1.44 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 2015–16: highest 1.93 m · 2 days above the normal rangeWinter 2016–17: highest 1.88 m · 1 days above the normal rangeWinter 2017–18: highest 1.78 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 2018–19: highest 1.86 m · 2 days above the normal rangeWinter 2019–20: highest 3.35 m on 8 November 2019 · 12 days above the normal rangeWinter 2020–21: highest 2.63 m on 21 January 2021 · 2 days above the normal rangeWinter 2021–22: highest 3.20 m on 21 February 2022 · 3 days above the normal rangeWinter 2022–23: highest 1.75 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 2023–24: highest 3.58 m on 21 October 2023 · 8 days above the normal rangeWinter 2024–25: highest 2.14 m · 2 days above the normal rangeWinter 2025–26: highest 2.12 m · 2 days above the normal range’23–24’19–20’00–01Record 3.58 m, 2023Top of normal range
1990–912025–26
The highest days on record
  • 21 October 20233.58 m
  • 8 November 20193.35 m
  • 7 November 20003.21 m
  • 21 February 20223.20 m
  • 26 June 20072.81 m
  • 21 January 20212.63 m

The River Derwent has topped its normal range on 77 days since 1990, most in the winters of 2019–20 and 2023–24. By its highest day, the winter of 2025–26 was the 11th-highest of the 36.

Environment Agency Hydrology API, Derby City (station 4085), 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 Derby · 38 warnings in 20 years

The Environment Agency has 12 flood warning areas and 3 alert areas reaching into the city; warnings since the service began in 2006.

Now: no flood warnings or alerts for Derby (checked 4 November 2026, 14:05). Check for flooding on GOV.UK →
Warnings and alerts each year for areas in Derby
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 38 warnings, 8 were for River Derwent at Allestree Ford Lane Bridge and Darley Abbey Park and 7 for River Derwent at Darley Abbey, Folly Road. 2023 had the most warnings (17); 2024 the most alerts (39).

The most recent warning was on 27 January 2026.

Show the 15 warning and alert areas
AreaKindSince 2006Now
River Derwent at Allestree Ford Lane Bridge and Darley Abbey ParkWarning area8None
River Derwent at Darley Abbey, Folly RoadWarning area7None
River Derwent at RayneswayWarning area6None
River Derwent at Little Chester, Eastgate and Cattle MarketWarning area3None
River Derwent at Elvaston Castle Country ParkWarning area3None
River Derwent at Spondon and Raynesway Industrial AreasWarning area3None
River Derwent at Racecourse Park at ChaddesdenWarning area2None
Markeaton and Bramble Brooks at Derby CityWarning area2None
River Derwent at Derby CityWarning area1None
River Derwent at ChaddesdenWarning area1None
River Derwent at Pride Park and Derby Railway StationWarning area1None
River Derwent at AlvastonWarning area1None
River Trent in DerbyshireAlert area209None
Lower Derwent in DerbyshireAlert area123None
Tributaries in South DerbyshireAlert area38None

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

Parts of Derby are in radon Affected Areas, up to the 5–10% 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).

SK2932: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK2933: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK2934: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK2935: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK2936: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3033: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3034: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3035: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3036: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3037: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3132: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3133: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3134: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3135: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3136: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3137: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3231: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3232: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3233: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3234: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3235: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3236: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3237: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3238: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3239: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSK3330: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3331: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3332: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3333: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3334: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3335: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3336: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3337: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3338: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSK3339: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSK3340: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK3430: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3431: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3432: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3433: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3434: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3435: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3436: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3437: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3438: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3439: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK3440: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK3531: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3532: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3533: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3534: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3535: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3536: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK3537: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3538: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3539: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK3540: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK3630: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3631: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3632: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3633: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSK3634: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSK3635: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3636: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3637: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3638: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3639: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK3729: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSK3730: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK3731: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK3732: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSK3733: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSK3734: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3735: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3736: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSK3737: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3738: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK3739: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK3829: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3830: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3831: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3832: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSK3833: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSK3834: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3835: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3836: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3837: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3838: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSK3839: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSK3931: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3932: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSK3933: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3934: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3935: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3936: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK3937: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSK3938: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSK3939: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSK4031: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK4033: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK4034: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK4035: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK4036: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK4134: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSK4135: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK4136: 1–3% of homes above the action level© OpenStreetMap contributors · BGS/UKHSA
Under 1%1–3%3–5%5–10%
Share of the city’s area in each band
Under 1% of homes73%
1–3% of homes9%
3–5% of homes15%
5–10% of homes3%

27% of Derby’s built-up area is in a radon Affected Area (1% of homes or more above the action level), and 3% in squares of 5% or more, mostly on the south-east side of the city.

The squares are indicative: each takes the highest band found anywhere inside it, so most homes in a coloured square are below it. Only a three-month test in the home gives a real answer.

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

Neighbours

Flood risk in the places around Derby

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

Findern: Hazard risk C+Borrowash: Hazard risk C+Little Eaton: Hazard risk CAston-on-Trent: Hazard risk AMakeney: Hazard risk D−Willington: Hazard risk C−Etwall: Hazard risk B+FindernBorrowashLittle EatonAston-on-TrentMakeneyWillingtonEtwallDerby
ABCD
TownPeopleHigh or mediumLowHazard
Derby275,5612.4%2.3%C−
Findern1,6080.6%0.3%C+
Borrowash7,1710.4%2.4%C+
Little Eaton1,8751.4%19%C
Aston-on-Trent2,4330%0%A
Makeney4,69112%7.2%D−
Willington2,7172.2%3.7%C−
Etwall3,0800%1%B+

Makeney, 5.3 miles north, has the most homes at risk around Derby (12% at high or medium). Aston-on-Trent and Etwall have none.

Be ready

Get ready for what Derby 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.
  • Derby’s warning areas include River Derwent at Spondon and Raynesway Industrial Areas and River Derwent at Little Chester, Eastgate and Cattle Market.
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.
Radon
  • Test over three months, in a living room and a bedroom.
  • Above 200 Bq/m³, a small sump and fan usually fixes it.
  • New homes in radon areas are built with protection: basic from 3%, full from 10%.
UKradon ↗
Before you buy or rent in Derby
  • 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.
  • Check radon for the address on UKradon.org (a small fee) or ask the seller for a test result.
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 Derby

Does Derby flood?

The last flood the Environment Agency recorded inside the city was in October 2023. 2.4% 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 6.2% of homes are at high or medium risk from surface water, when heavy rain overwhelms the drains. Derby grades C− for hazard risk against UK towns.

Which parts of Derby are at risk of flooding?

From rivers and the sea, the places the Environment Agency warns directly: River Derwent at Allestree Ford Lane Bridge and Darley Abbey Park, River Derwent at Darley Abbey, Folly Road, River Derwent at Raynesway and River Derwent at Spondon and Raynesway Industrial Areas. Surface water can collect in low spots anywhere in the city. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s long-term flood risk service.

When did Derby last flood?

The recorded flood outlines inside the city run from 1931 to 2023 (9 years); the largest was in 1965. Flood warnings have been issued for parts of the city since 2006, most recently on 27 January 2026.

Is Derby at risk of surface water flooding?

About 3.2% of homes are at high risk and 3% at medium risk from surface water, against 2.4% 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 Derby?

27% of the city’s built-up area is in a radon Affected Area on the BGS/UKHSA atlas, and 3% is in 1 km squares where 5% or more of homes may be above the action level. Most homes are below it; a three-month test is the only way to know.

Are there flood warnings in Derby now?

No flood warning or alert was in force near Derby at 4 November 2026, 14:05. 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.