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C+Hazard risk Grade
Flood & hazards in Plymouth · Environment Agency

Surface water, more than the river, is Plymouth’s flood risk: 2.8% of homes, against 0.8% 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. Plymouth’s Hazard risk Grade is C+: #10 of 47 in Devon.

2012worst recorded flood54flood warnings since 200698%in a radon Affected Area
In brief

What stands out about Plymouth’s hazards

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

Rain, more than the river2.8% of homes sit where heavy rain can flood the streets, against 0.8% at risk from rivers and the sea.Remembers 2012Floodwater covered 4 hectares of today’s Plymouth in 2012; 53 of today’s households live inside past flood outlines.The River Plym ran its 2nd-highest in December 20252.31 m at Carnwood on 9 December 2025, 23 cm under the record set in 2000.54 flood warnings since 2006For the parts of Plymouth the Environment Agency warns directly; the most recent on 2 February 2026.
By hazard

What Plymouth faces

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

Rivers and the sea

0.8%of homes at high or medium risk
More than the typical UK town · more than 64% of towns
1,067 homes by the EA’s own count

Surface water

2.8%of homes at high or medium risk
More than 39% of UK towns
Rivers and sea: 0.8%

Past floods

21years with a recorded flood
Last recorded: December 2025
53 households inside past outlines

The River Plym

2.31 mhighest in winter 2025–26 at Carnwood
2nd-highest of 26 winters
Record 2.55 m, December 2000

Flood warnings

54flood warnings since 2006
236 flood alerts for the wider area
Last warning 2 February 2026

Radon

98%of the city in a radon Affected Area
Highest band here: Over 30% of homes
66% 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

Plymouth grades C+ for hazard risk

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

Homes at high or medium flood risk (0.8%)Fewer than 36% 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 Plymouth

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: 1900Recorded flood: 1944Recorded flood: 1958Recorded flood: 1975Recorded flood: 1980Recorded flood: 1988Recorded flood: 1990Recorded flood: 1991Recorded flood: 1992Recorded flood: 1996Recorded flood: 1998Recorded flood: 2000Recorded flood: 2004Recorded flood: 2008Recorded flood: 2012Recorded flood: 2014Recorded flood: 2018Recorded flood: 2019Recorded flood: 2020Recorded flood: 2021Recorded flood: 2025© OpenStreetMap contributors · EA NaFRA2
HighMediumLowrivers & seaHighMediumLowsurface waterPlymouth’s built-up area

The river and sea risk follows the Tory Brook, the River Plym and the Long 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

0.8% of Plymouth’s homes are at high or medium risk from rivers or the sea

The Environment Agency’s national map, allowing for defences. A further 0.4% are at low risk.

High risk0.6%of homes · 1 in 30 a year or more771 homes, EA count
Medium risk0.2%of homes · 1 in 30 to 1 in 100296 homes, EA count
Low risk0.4%of homes · 1 in 100 to 1 in 1,000522 homes, EA count
Where Plymouth sits among 3,735 UK towns
35%None
23%Under 0.5%
9%0.5–1%Plymouth
11%1–2%
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; Plymouth has more than 64% of towns.

Towns its size: 25th of 47 from the fewest homes at risk
#TownPeopleHigh or med.
1Southwark London307,0760%
2Islington London216,3090%
3Camden London209,3420%
…
23Bexley London246,0740.6%
24Ealing London367,2710.6%
25Plymouth Devon266,9700.8%
26Haringey London264,0690.8%
27Hackney London258,4640.8%
…
46Nottingham Nottinghamshire299,7863.6%
47Kingston upon Hull East Riding of Yorkshire270,8166.3%

UK towns of 187,000 to 374,000 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 3.7 times as many Plymouth 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 water2.8%
Rivers and the sea0.8%
0%7%14% of homes

About 1.3% of homes are at high risk of surface-water flooding (a 1 in 30 chance or more each year) and 1.5% at medium risk: roughly 3,290 households. A further 5.2% face a low risk from surface water. That is more than 39% of UK towns.

~3,290
households at high or medium risk
5.2%
of homes at low risk
39%
of UK towns have a smaller share
156,908
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

Plymouth has flooded in 21 recorded years since 1900, most of all in 2012

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

  1. 2025August and December 2025: River flooding recordedUnder 1 hectare inside today’s built-up area · Longbrook, Plymouth
  2. 2021July 2021: River flooding recordedUnder 1 hectare inside today’s built-up area
  3. 2020January and August 2020: The sea came inUnder 1 hectare inside today’s built-up area
  4. 2019September and November 2019: River flooding recorded1 hectare inside today’s built-up area
  5. 2018November 2018: River flooding recordedUnder 1 hectare inside today’s built-up area
  6. 2014January and February 2014: The sea came inUnder 1 hectare inside today’s built-up area
Show all 21
  1. 2012January, October, November and December 2012: River flooding recorded4 hectares inside today’s built-up area
  2. 2008March 2008: The sea came in1 hectare inside today’s built-up area
  3. 2004August and October 2004: River flooding recordedUnder 1 hectare inside today’s built-up area
  4. 2000November and December 2000: The sea came inUnder 1 hectare inside today’s built-up area
  5. 1998October 1998: River flooding recordedUnder 1 hectare inside today’s built-up area
  6. 1996November 1996: River flooding recordedUnder 1 hectare inside today’s built-up area
  7. 1992July 1992: The sea came inUnder 1 hectare inside today’s built-up area
  8. 1991June 1991: River flooding recordedUnder 1 hectare inside today’s built-up area
  9. 1990October 1990: River flooding recordedUnder 1 hectare inside today’s built-up area
  10. 1988September 1988: River flooding recordedUnder 1 hectare inside today’s built-up area
  11. 1980June 1980: The sea came inUnder 1 hectare inside today’s built-up area
  12. 1975January 1975: River flooding recordedUnder 1 hectare inside today’s built-up area
  13. 1958August 1958: River flooding recordedUnder 1 hectare inside today’s built-up area
  14. 1944January 1944: River flooding recordedUnder 1 hectare inside today’s built-up area
  15. 1900January 1900: River flooding recordedUnder 1 hectare inside today’s built-up area
The worst: 20124 ha

Floodwater covered 4 hectares of what is now Plymouth in 2012, the largest flood the record holds here (January, October, November and December).

53 of Plymouth’s households today live inside the outline of a recorded flood.

Since 2012, the largest recorded flood inside the city covered 1 hectare.

River levels

The River Plym in December 2025 rose to its 2nd-highest level since 2000

The highest level each winter (October to September) at the Environment Agency’s Carnwood gauge (Bickleigh), since 2000. The river normally runs between 0.16 m and 1.60 m here.

Highest level each winter, metres
Winter 2000–01: highest 2.55 m on 31 December 2000 · 6 days above the normal rangeWinter 2001–02: highest 1.83 m · 1 days above the normal rangeWinter 2002–03: highest 1.83 m · 2 days above the normal rangeWinter 2003–04: highest 1.41 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 2004–05: highest 1.39 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 2005–06: highest 1.63 m · 1 days above the normal rangeWinter 2006–07: highest 1.64 m · 1 days above the normal rangeWinter 2007–08: highest 1.72 m · 3 days above the normal rangeWinter 2008–09: highest 1.98 m · 3 days above the normal rangeWinter 2009–10: highest 1.55 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 2010–11: highest 1.60 m · 1 days above the normal rangeWinter 2011–12: highest 2.17 m on 7 July 2012 · 1 days above the normal rangeWinter 2012–13: highest 1.93 m · 6 days above the normal rangeWinter 2013–14: highest 1.80 m · 6 days above the normal rangeWinter 2014–15: highest 1.36 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 2015–16: highest 1.75 m · 3 days above the normal rangeWinter 2016–17: highest 1.66 m · 1 days above the normal rangeWinter 2017–18: highest 1.30 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 2018–19: highest 1.54 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 2019–20: highest 1.71 m · 4 days above the normal rangeWinter 2020–21: highest 2.20 m on 19 December 2020 · 2 days above the normal rangeWinter 2021–22: highest 1.77 m · 2 days above the normal rangeWinter 2022–23: highest 2.16 m on 8 November 2022 · 11 days above the normal rangeWinter 2023–24: highest 1.99 m · 6 days above the normal rangeWinter 2024–25: highest 1.99 m on 6 January 2025 · 2 days above the normal rangeWinter 2025–26: highest 2.31 m on 9 December 2025 · 7 days above the normal range’00–01’25–26’20–21Record 2.55 m, 2000Top of normal range
2000–012025–26
The highest days on record
  • 31 December 20002.55 m
  • 9 December 20252.31 m
  • 19 December 20202.20 m
  • 7 July 20122.17 m
  • 8 November 20222.16 m
  • 26 November 20222.15 m

The River Plym has topped its normal range on 69 days since 2000, most in the winters of 2022–23 and 2025–26. By its highest day, the winter of 2025–26 was the 2nd-highest of the 26.

Environment Agency Hydrology API, Carnwood (station 47121), 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 Plymouth · 54 warnings in 20 years

The Environment Agency has 6 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 Plymouth (checked 3 November 2026, 14:58). Check for flooding on GOV.UK →
Warnings and alerts each year for areas in Plymouth
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 Plymouth, River Plym at Marsh Mills, has not had a flood warning since 2006. Of the 54 warnings, 19 were for Plymouth Sound, Wembury Bay and tidal estuaries and 19 for Plymouth Barbican.

2014 had the most warnings (10); 2012 the most alerts (33). The most recent warning was on 2 February 2026.

Show the 9 warning and alert areas
AreaKindSince 2006Now
Plymouth BarbicanWarning area19None
Plymouth Sound, Wembury Bay and tidal estuariesWarning area19None
River Plym from Shaugh Bridge to Riverside Caravan ParkWarning area12None
Tory Brook from Newnham Park to Long BridgeWarning area2None
Long Brook (Plympton) at PlymptonWarning area2None
River Plym at Marsh MillsWarning area0None
River Plym and Tory BrookAlert area113None
Rivers Tavy and WalkhamAlert area72None
Plymouth Sound, Wembury Bay and tidal estuariesAlert area51None

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 Plymouth 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).

SX4357: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX4358: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX4453: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSX4454: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSX4455: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX4456: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX4457: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX4458: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX4459: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX4460: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSX4553: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX4554: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSX4555: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSX4556: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSX4557: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX4558: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX4559: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSX4560: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX4653: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSX4654: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSX4655: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSX4656: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSX4657: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSX4658: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSX4659: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSX4660: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX4661: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX4753: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSX4754: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSX4755: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSX4756: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSX4757: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSX4758: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSX4759: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSX4760: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX4761: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX4852: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSX4853: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSX4854: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX4855: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX4856: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX4857: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSX4858: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSX4859: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSX4860: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSX4861: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX4952: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX4953: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX4954: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX4955: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX4956: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX4957: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSX4958: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX4959: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX4960: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX4961: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX4962: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX5051: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX5052: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX5053: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX5054: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX5055: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX5056: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX5057: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX5058: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX5059: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX5060: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX5061: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX5062: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX5151: Over 30% of homes above the action levelSX5152: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX5153: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX5154: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX5155: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSX5156: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX5157: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX5158: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX5159: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX5160: Over 30% of homes above the action levelSX5161: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX5162: Over 30% of homes above the action levelSX5251: Over 30% of homes above the action levelSX5252: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX5253: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX5254: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX5255: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX5256: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX5257: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX5259: Over 30% of homes above the action levelSX5260: Over 30% of homes above the action levelSX5352: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX5353: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX5355: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX5356: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX5357: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX5453: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX5455: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX5456: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX5457: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX5555: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX5556: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX5557: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSX5655: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX5656: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX5755: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSX5756: 5–10% of homes above the action level© OpenStreetMap contributors · BGS/UKHSA
Under 1%1–3%3–5%5–10%10–30%Over 30%
Share of the city’s area in each band
Under 1% of homes2%
1–3% of homes17%
3–5% of homes16%
5–10% of homes38%
10–30% of homes27%
Over 30% of homes1%

98% of Plymouth’s built-up area is in a radon Affected Area (1% of homes or more above the action level), and 66% 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 Plymouth

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

Torpoint: Hazard risk CSherford: Hazard risk ASaltash: Hazard risk B−Millbrook: Hazard risk DWembury: Hazard risk BYealmpton: Hazard risk CBere Alston: Hazard risk ATorpointSherfordSaltashMillbrookWemburyYealmptonBere AlstonPlymouth
ABCD
TownPeopleHigh or mediumLowHazard
Plymouth266,9700.8%0.4%C+
Torpoint7,1630.8%0.3%C
Sherford1,3110%0%A
Saltash15,4330.2%under 0.1%B−
Millbrook2,2998.9%3.8%D
Wembury1,828under 0.1%0%B
Yealmpton2,0071.2%1.7%C
Bere Alston2,2590%0%A

Millbrook, 4.9 miles south-west, has the most homes at risk around Plymouth (8.9% at high or medium). Sherford and Bere Alston have none.

Be ready

Get ready for what Plymouth 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.
  • Plymouth’s warning areas include Plymouth Sound, Wembury Bay and tidal estuaries and Tory Brook from Newnham Park to Long Bridge.
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 Plymouth
  • 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 Plymouth

Does Plymouth flood?

The last flood the Environment Agency recorded inside the city was in December 2025. 0.8% 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 2.8% of homes are at high or medium risk from surface water, when heavy rain overwhelms the drains. Plymouth grades C+ for hazard risk against UK towns.

Which parts of Plymouth are at risk of flooding?

From rivers and the sea, the places the Environment Agency warns directly: Plymouth Sound, Wembury Bay and tidal estuaries, Plymouth Barbican, River Plym from Shaugh Bridge to Riverside Caravan Park and Tory Brook from Newnham Park to Long Bridge. 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 Plymouth last flood?

The recorded flood outlines inside the city run from 1900 to 2025 (21 years); the largest was in 2012. Flood warnings have been issued for parts of the city since 2006, most recently on 2 February 2026.

Is Plymouth at risk of surface water flooding?

About 1.3% of homes are at high risk and 1.5% at medium risk from surface water, against 0.8% 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 Plymouth?

98% of the city’s built-up area is in a radon Affected Area on the BGS/UKHSA atlas, and 66% 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 Plymouth now?

No flood warning or alert was in force near Plymouth at 3 November 2026, 14:58. 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.