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Flood & hazards in Paignton · Environment Agency

Surface water, more than the river, is Paignton’s flood risk: 3% 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. Paignton grades C for hazard risk: #18 of 47 in Devon.

2014worst recorded flood6flood warnings since 2006100%in a radon Affected Area
In brief

What stands out about Paignton’s hazards

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

Rain, more than the river3% of homes sit where heavy rain can flood the streets, against 1.3% at risk from rivers and the sea.The Aller Brook ran its 5th-highest in August 20251.40 m at Kingskerswell on 29 August 2025, 37 cm under the record set in 2023.6 flood warnings since 2006For the parts of Paignton the Environment Agency warns directly; the most recent on 23 January 2026.Radon in parts65% of the town is in 1 km squares where 5% or more of homes may be above the radon action level.
By hazard

What Paignton 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
503 homes by the EA’s own count

Surface water

3%of homes at high or medium risk
More than 41% of UK towns
Rivers and sea: 1.3%

Past floods

2years with a recorded flood
Last recorded: February 2014
4 households inside past outlines

The Aller Brook

1.22 mhighest in winter 2025–26 at Kingskerswell
7th-highest of 18 winters
Record 1.76 m, September 2023

Flood warnings

6flood warnings since 2006
514 flood alerts for the wider area
Last warning 23 January 2026

Radon

100%of the town in a radon Affected Area
Highest band here: Over 30% of homes
65% 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

Paignton 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 Paignton

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: 2004Recorded flood: 2014© OpenStreetMap contributors · EA NaFRA2
HighMediumLowrivers & seaHighMediumLowsurface waterPaignton’s built-up area

The river and sea risk follows the English Channel, the South Devon Coast and the River Teign. 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

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

The Environment Agency’s national map, allowing for defences. A further 1.4% are at low risk.

High risk1.1%of homes · 1 in 30 a year or more415 homes, EA count
Medium risk0.3%of homes · 1 in 30 to 1 in 10088 homes, EA count
Low risk1.4%of homes · 1 in 100 to 1 in 1,000524 homes, EA count
Where Paignton sits among 3,735 UK towns
35%None
23%Under 0.5%
9%0.5–1%
11%1–2%Paignton
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; Paignton has more than 72% of towns.

Towns its size: 90th of 119 from the fewest homes at risk
#TownPeopleHigh or med.
1Dudley West Midlands64,2770%
2Smethwick West Midlands56,3430%
3Bootle Merseyside53,7220%
…
88Barnsley South Yorkshire71,3941.3%
89Tipton West Midlands47,2021.3%
90Paignton Devon67,5091.3%
91Wigan Greater Manchester81,5801.3%
92Christchurch Dorset48,9731.4%
…
118West Molesey Surrey47,1447.2%
119Grimsby Lincolnshire85,9158.9%

UK towns of 47,000 to 95,000 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 2.3 times as many Paignton 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%
Rivers and the sea1.3%
0%7%14% of homes

About 1.7% of homes are at high risk of surface-water flooding (a 1 in 30 chance or more each year) and 1.3% at medium risk: roughly 890 households. A further 3.2% face a low risk from surface water. That is more than 41% of UK towns.

~890
households at high or medium risk
3.2%
of homes at low risk
41%
of UK towns have a smaller share
40,626
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

Paignton has flooded in 2 recorded years since 2004

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

  1. 2014January and February 2014: The sea came in2 hectares inside today’s built-up area · Paignton Promenade/Marine Parade, Paignton Tidal Flood, Preston Sands Tidal Flood
  2. 2004October 2004: The sea came in1 hectare inside today’s built-up area · Torquay Tidal Flood

4 of Paignton’s households today live inside the outline of a recorded flood.

River levels

The Aller Brook in August 2025 rose to its 5th-highest level since 2005

The highest level each winter (October to September) at the Environment Agency’s Kingskerswell gauge (Kingskerswell), since 2005. The river normally runs between 0.29 m and 1.51 m here.

Highest level each winter, metres
Winter 2005–06: highest 1.04 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 2006–07: highest 1.32 m on 20 August 2007 · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 2007–08: highest 1.05 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 2008–09: highest 0.98 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 2009–10: highest 0.81 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 2010–11: highest 0.88 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 2012–13: highest 1.42 m on 21 November 2012 · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 2013–14: highest 1.10 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 2014–15: highest 1.11 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 2017–18: highest 0.90 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 2018–19: highest 0.86 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 2019–20: highest 1.53 m on 27 August 2020 · 1 days above the normal rangeWinter 2020–21: highest 1.50 m on 27 June 2021 · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 2021–22: highest 1.18 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 2022–23: highest 1.76 m on 17 September 2023 · 1 days above the normal rangeWinter 2023–24: highest 1.11 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 2024–25: highest 1.40 m on 29 August 2025 · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 2025–26: highest 1.22 m · 0 days above the normal range’22–23’19–20’20–21Record 1.76 m, 2023Top of normal range
2005–062025–26
The highest days on record
  • 17 September 20231.76 m
  • 27 August 20201.53 m
  • 27 June 20211.50 m
  • 21 November 20121.42 m
  • 29 August 20251.40 m
  • 6 October 20121.39 m

The Aller Brook has topped its normal range on 2 days since 2005, most in the winters of 2019–20 and 2022–23. By its highest day, the winter of 2025–26 was the 7th-highest of the 18.

Environment Agency Hydrology API, Kingskerswell (station 46150), 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 Paignton · 6 warnings in 20 years

The Environment Agency has 2 flood warning areas and 3 alert areas reaching into the town; warnings since the service began in 2006.

Now: no flood warnings or alerts for Paignton (checked 2 November 2026, 12:33). Check for flooding on GOV.UK →
Warnings and alerts each year for areas in Paignton
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 6 warnings, 4 were for South Devon Coast at Paignton and 2 for South Devon Coast at Torbay. 2014 had the most warnings (3); 2024 the most alerts (41).

The most recent warning was on 23 January 2026.

Show the 5 warning and alert areas
AreaKindSince 2006Now
South Devon Coast at PaigntonWarning area4None
South Devon Coast at TorbayWarning area2None
River Teign areaAlert area199None
River Dart areaAlert area197None
South Devon coast from Start Point to Dawlish WarrenAlert area118None

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 Paignton are in radon Affected Areas, up to the Over 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).

SX8657: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX8658: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX8659: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX8660: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX8661: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX8757: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX8758: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX8759: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX8760: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSX8761: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX8762: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX8856: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX8857: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX8858: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX8859: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX8860: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSX8861: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX8862: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX8863: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX8864: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSX8865: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSX8866: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSX8956: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX8957: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX8958: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX8959: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSX8960: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSX8961: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSX8962: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX8963: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX8964: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSX8965: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSX8966: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSX9056: Over 30% of homes above the action levelSX9062: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX9063: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX9064: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSX9065: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSX9066: 3–5% of homes above the action level© OpenStreetMap contributors · BGS/UKHSA
1–3%3–5%5–10%10–30%Over 30%
Share of the town’s area in each band
1–3% of homes15%
3–5% of homes20%
5–10% of homes13%
10–30% of homes51%
Over 30% of homes0%

100% of Paignton’s built-up area is in a radon Affected Area (1% of homes or more above the action level), and 65% in squares of 5% or more.

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 Paignton

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

Marldon: Hazard risk ATorquay: Hazard risk CStoke Gabriel: Hazard risk CKingskerswell: Hazard risk DBrixham: Hazard risk C−Ipplepen: Hazard risk AAbbotskerswell: Hazard risk DMarldonTorquayStoke GabrielKingskerswellBrixhamIpplepenAbbotskerswellPaignton
ABCD
TownPeopleHigh or mediumLowHazard
Paignton67,5091.3%1.4%C
Marldon2,0730%0%A
Torquay52,0341%0.4%C
Stoke Gabriel1,3400.9%0.3%C
Kingskerswell3,7616%0.8%D
Brixham17,8392.9%1.3%C−
Ipplepen2,1500%0%A
Abbotskerswell1,1823.6%1.3%D

Kingskerswell, 4.1 miles north, has the most homes at risk around Paignton (6% at high or medium). Marldon and Ipplepen have none.

Be ready

Get ready for what Paignton 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.
  • Paignton’s warning areas include South Devon Coast at Paignton and South Devon Coast at Torbay.
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 Paignton
  • 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 Paignton

Does Paignton flood?

The last flood the Environment Agency recorded inside the town was in February 2014. 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% of homes are at high or medium risk from surface water, when heavy rain overwhelms the drains. Paignton grades C for hazard risk against UK towns.

Which parts of Paignton are at risk of flooding?

From rivers and the sea, the places the Environment Agency warns directly: South Devon Coast at Paignton and South Devon Coast at Torbay. 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 Paignton last flood?

The recorded flood outlines inside the town run from 2004 to 2014 (2 years); the largest was in 2014. Flood warnings have been issued for parts of the town since 2006, most recently on 23 January 2026.

Is Paignton at risk of surface water flooding?

About 1.7% of homes are at high risk and 1.3% 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 Paignton?

100% of the town’s built-up area is in a radon Affected Area on the BGS/UKHSA atlas, and 65% 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 Paignton now?

No flood warning or alert was in force near Paignton at 2 November 2026, 12:33. 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.