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St Stephen's church, High Street, ExeterPhoto: David Smith · CC BY-SA 2.0
CHazard risk Grade
Flood & hazards in Exeter · Environment Agency

Heavy rain is Exeter’s main flood risk: 3.7% of homes, against 1.3% from rivers or the sea

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. Hazard risk puts Exeter at C: #17 of 47 in Devon.

1960worst recorded flood80flood warnings since 200665%in a radon Affected Area
In brief

What stands out about Exeter’s hazards

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

Rain, more than the river3.7% of homes sit where heavy rain can flood the streets, against 1.3% at risk from rivers and the sea.Remembers 1960The River Exe and the River Clyst covered 372 hectares of today’s Exeter in 1960; 4,888 of today’s households live inside past flood outlines.The River Exe ran its 5th-highest in January 20264.53 m at Trews Weir on 27 January 2026, 9 cm under the record set in 2000.80 flood warnings since 2006For the parts of Exeter the Environment Agency warns directly; the most recent on 18 February 2026.
By hazard

What Exeter faces

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

Rivers and the sea

1.3%of homes at high or medium risk
More than the typical UK town · more than 72% of towns
891 homes by the EA’s own count

Surface water

3.7%of homes at high or medium risk
More than 52% of UK towns
Rivers and sea: 1.3%

Past floods

11years with a recorded flood
Last recorded: December 1993
4,888 households inside past outlines

The River Exe

4.53 mhighest in winter 2025–26 at Trews Weir
3rd-highest of 29 winters
Record 4.61 m, October 2000

Flood warnings

80flood warnings since 2006
562 flood alerts for the wider area
Last warning 18 February 2026

Radon

65%of the city in a radon Affected Area
Highest band here: 10–30% of homes
16% 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

Exeter grades C for hazard risk

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

Homes at high or medium flood risk (1.3%)Fewer than 28% 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 Exeter

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: 1950River Exe, River Clyst: 1960River Clyst, Brindle Brook: 1965Recorded flood: 1968River Exe: 1971River Clyst: 1972River Culm, River Exe: 1979Recorded flood: 1980River Exe: 1984River Clyst, River Exe: 1992River Exe: 1993© OpenStreetMap contributors · EA NaFRA2
HighMediumLowrivers & seaHighMediumLowsurface waterExeter’s built-up area

The river and sea risk follows the River Clyst, the River Culm and the River Creedy. 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

1.3% of Exeter’s homes are at high or medium risk from rivers or the sea

The Environment Agency’s national map, allowing for defences. A further 10% are at low risk.

High risk0.3%of homes · 1 in 30 a year or more136 homes, EA count
Medium risk1%of homes · 1 in 30 to 1 in 100755 homes, EA count
Low risk10%of homes · 1 in 100 to 1 in 1,0006,242 homes, EA count
Where Exeter sits among 3,735 UK towns
35%None
23%Under 0.5%
9%0.5–1%
11%1–2%Exeter
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; Exeter has more than 72% of towns.

Towns its size: 38th of 58 from the fewest homes at risk
#TownPeopleHigh or med.
1Oldham Greater Manchester110,7220%
2Birkenhead Merseyside109,8540%
3Kensington and Chelsea London143,348under 0.1%
…
36Cheltenham Gloucestershire115,9411%
37Salford Greater Manchester108,4311.1%
38Exeter Devon126,1811.3%
39Cambridge Cambridgeshire152,7421.3%
40Worcester Worcestershire105,4391.4%
…
57Bath Somerset94,0805.6%
58Lincoln Lincolnshire104,5536%

UK towns of 88,000 to 177,000 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 2.8 times as many Exeter 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 water3.7%
Rivers and the sea1.3%
0%7%14% of homes

About 1.9% of homes are at high risk of surface-water flooding (a 1 in 30 chance or more each year) and 1.7% at medium risk: roughly 1,850 households. A further 6.1% face a low risk from surface water. That is more than 52% of UK towns.

~1,850
households at high or medium risk
6.1%
of homes at low risk
52%
of UK towns have a smaller share
64,007
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

Exeter has flooded in 11 recorded years since 1950, most of all in 1960

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

  1. 1993December 1993: The River Exe overflowed3 hectares inside today’s built-up area · Salmon Pool, Exeter City, The Quayside, Pynes Waterworks
  2. 1992December 1992: The River Clyst and the River Exe overflowed1 hectare inside today’s built-up area · Clyst St. Mary, Exminster Marshes
  3. 1984January 1984: The River Exe overflowedUnder 1 hectare inside today’s built-up area · Cowley Bridge
  4. 19801980: River flooding recorded9 hectares inside today’s built-up area
  5. 1979December 1979: The River Culm and the River Exe overflowed4 hectares inside today’s built-up area · Pynes Waterworks Killerton, Exwick Weir, Haven Banks
  6. 1972July and December 1972: The River Clyst overflowed16 hectares inside today’s built-up area
Show all 11
  1. 1971January 1971: The River Exe overflowed1 hectare inside today’s built-up area
  2. 1968December 1968: River flooding recordedUnder 1 hectare inside today’s built-up area
  3. 1965November and December 1965: The River Clyst, the Brindle Brook and the River Exe overflowed5 hectares inside today’s built-up area · River Clyst/Brindle Brook
  4. 1960September, October and December 1960: The River Exe, the River Clyst and the Alphin Brook overflowed372 hectares inside today’s built-up area · Countess Wear, Countess Wear and Matford Marshes, Bishops Clyst, Clyst St. Mary bridge
  5. 1950November 1950: River flooding recorded23 hectares inside today’s built-up area
The worst: 1960372 ha

The River Exe and the River Clyst covered 372 hectares of what is now Exeter in 1960, the largest flood the record holds here (September, October and December).

4,888 of Exeter’s households today live inside the outline of a recorded flood.

Since 1960, the largest recorded flood inside the city covered 16 hectares. The EA also holds 2 undated outlines here, not in the timeline.

River levels

The River Exe in January 2026 rose to its 5th-highest level since 1997

The highest level each winter (October to September) at the Environment Agency’s Trews Weir gauge, since 1997. The river normally runs between 3.28 m and 4.00 m here.

Highest level each winter, metres
Winter 1997–98: highest 4.31 m · 11 days above the normal rangeWinter 1998–99: highest 4.39 m · 19 days above the normal rangeWinter 1999–00: highest 4.51 m on 19 December 1999 · 17 days above the normal rangeWinter 2000–01: highest 4.61 m on 30 October 2000 · 27 days above the normal rangeWinter 2001–02: highest 4.26 m · 13 days above the normal rangeWinter 2002–03: highest 4.44 m on 14 November 2002 · 9 days above the normal rangeWinter 2003–04: highest 4.24 m · 8 days above the normal rangeWinter 2004–05: highest 4.29 m · 4 days above the normal rangeWinter 2005–06: highest 4.24 m · 5 days above the normal rangeWinter 2006–07: highest 4.19 m · 10 days above the normal rangeWinter 2007–08: highest 4.32 m · 16 days above the normal rangeWinter 2008–09: highest 4.42 m on 10 February 2009 · 12 days above the normal rangeWinter 2009–10: highest 4.23 m · 13 days above the normal rangeWinter 2010–11: highest 4.27 m · 3 days above the normal rangeWinter 2011–12: highest 4.41 m · 16 days above the normal rangeWinter 2012–13: highest 4.59 m on 25 November 2012 · 32 days above the normal rangeWinter 2013–14: highest 4.42 m · 29 days above the normal rangeWinter 2014–15: highest 4.23 m · 9 days above the normal rangeWinter 2015–16: highest 4.29 m · 9 days above the normal rangeWinter 2016–17: highest 4.37 m · 3 days above the normal rangeWinter 2017–18: highest 4.11 m · 9 days above the normal rangeWinter 2018–19: highest 3.99 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 2019–20: highest 4.24 m · 11 days above the normal rangeWinter 2020–21: highest 4.26 m · 11 days above the normal rangeWinter 2021–22: highest 4.06 m · 3 days above the normal rangeWinter 2022–23: highest 4.25 m · 8 days above the normal rangeWinter 2023–24: highest 4.21 m · 13 days above the normal rangeWinter 2024–25: highest 4.19 m · 9 days above the normal rangeWinter 2025–26: highest 4.53 m on 27 January 2026 · 18 days above the normal range’00–01’12–13’25–26Record 4.61 m, 2000Top of normal range
1997–982025–26
The highest days on record
  • 30 October 20004.61 m
  • 25 November 20124.59 m
  • 8 December 20004.56 m
  • 23 December 20124.55 m
  • 27 January 20264.53 m
  • 19 December 19994.51 m

The River Exe has topped its normal range on 347 days since 1997, most in the winters of 2012–13 and 2013–14. By its highest day, the winter of 2025–26 was the 3rd-highest of the 29.

Environment Agency Hydrology API, Trews Weir (station 45128), 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 Exeter · 80 warnings in 20 years

The Environment Agency has 6 flood warning areas and 4 alert areas reaching into the city; warnings since the service began in 2006.

Now: no flood warnings or alerts for Exeter (checked 2 November 2026, 20:50). Check for flooding on GOV.UK →
Warnings and alerts each year for areas in Exeter
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)

The warning area covering the most of Exeter, River Exe at Exeter, has not had a flood warning since 2006. Of the 80 warnings, 61 were for River Clyst from Broadclyst to Clyst St. Mary and 12 for River Exe from Tiverton to Exeter, including Bickleigh.

2023 had the most warnings (12); 2012 the most alerts (51). The most recent warning was on 18 February 2026.

Show the 10 warning and alert areas
AreaKindSince 2006Now
River Clyst from Broadclyst to Clyst St. MaryWarning area61None
River Exe from Tiverton to Exeter, including BickleighWarning area12None
River Exe at riverside locations in Exeter, including St Andrew's Road, The Quay and Countess WearWarning area6None
River Exe at vulnerable riverside locations in Exeter, including Exwick Mills and Mill on the ExeWarning area1None
River Exe at ExeterWarning area0None
South Devon coast within the Exe estuary, including Dawlish WarrenWarning area0None
Rivers Clyst and Culm and their tributariesAlert area262None
Lower Exe areaAlert area129None
Mid Devon RiversAlert area122None
South Devon EstuariesAlert area49None

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 Exeter are in radon Affected Areas, up to the 10–30% 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).

SX8893: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX8990: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX8991: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX8992: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX8993: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX9090: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX9091: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX9092: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX9093: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX9094: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSX9095: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSX9189: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSX9190: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSX9191: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSX9192: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX9193: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX9194: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSX9195: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSX9288: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSX9289: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSX9290: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSX9291: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSX9292: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSX9293: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSX9294: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSX9295: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSX9388: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSX9389: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSX9390: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSX9391: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSX9392: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSX9393: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSX9394: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSX9395: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSX9488: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSX9489: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSX9490: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSX9491: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSX9492: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSX9493: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSX9494: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSX9495: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSX9588: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSX9589: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSX9590: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSX9591: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSX9592: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSX9593: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSX9594: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSX9595: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSX9689: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSX9690: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSX9691: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSX9692: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSX9693: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSX9694: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSX9695: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSX9793: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSX9794: 3–5% of homes above the action level© OpenStreetMap contributors · BGS/UKHSA
Under 1%1–3%3–5%5–10%10–30%
Share of the city’s area in each band
Under 1% of homes35%
1–3% of homes38%
3–5% of homes11%
5–10% of homes6%
10–30% of homes10%

65% of Exeter’s built-up area is in a radon Affected Area (1% of homes or more above the action level), and 16% in squares of 5% or more, mostly on the west 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 Exeter

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

West Clyst: Hazard risk AClyst Honiton: Hazard risk B−Clyst St Mary: Hazard risk D−Exminster: Hazard risk B−Topsham: Hazard risk DBroadclyst: Hazard risk C+Cranbrook: Hazard risk CWest ClystClyst HonitonClyst St MaryExminsterTopshamBroadclystCranbrookExeter
ABCD
TownPeopleHigh or mediumLowHazard
Exeter126,1811.3%10%C
West Clyst2,6830%0%A
Clyst Honiton1,0300.2%0%B−
Clyst St Mary1,19312%3.8%D−
Exminster4,3880.3%4.9%B−
Topsham4,1934.2%2.6%D
Broadclyst1,5490.4%0%C+
Cranbrook4,9361.2%0.9%C

Clyst St Mary, 2.9 miles east, has the most homes at risk around Exeter (12% at high or medium). West Clyst has none.

Be ready

Get ready for what Exeter 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.
  • Exeter’s warning areas include River Exe at Exeter and River Exe at riverside locations in Exeter, including St Andrew's Road, The Quay and Countess Wear.
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 Exeter
  • 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 Exeter

Does Exeter flood?

The last flood the Environment Agency recorded inside the city was in December 1993. 1.3% 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 3.7% of homes are at high or medium risk from surface water, when heavy rain overwhelms the drains. Exeter grades C for hazard risk against UK towns.

Which parts of Exeter are at risk of flooding?

From rivers and the sea, the places the Environment Agency warns directly: River Clyst from Broadclyst to Clyst St. Mary, River Exe from Tiverton to Exeter, including Bickleigh, River Exe at riverside locations in Exeter, including St Andrew's Road, The Quay and Countess Wear and River Exe at vulnerable riverside locations in Exeter, including Exwick Mills and Mill on the Exe. 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 Exeter last flood?

The recorded flood outlines inside the city run from 1950 to 1993 (11 years); the largest was in 1960. Flood warnings have been issued for parts of the city since 2006, most recently on 18 February 2026.

Is Exeter at risk of surface water flooding?

About 1.9% of homes are at high risk and 1.7% at medium risk from surface water, against 1.3% 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 Exeter?

65% of the city’s built-up area is in a radon Affected Area on the BGS/UKHSA atlas, and 16% 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 Exeter now?

No flood warning or alert was in force near Exeter at 2 November 2026, 20:50. 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.