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Town square, BasildonPhoto: Mike Pennington · CC BY-SA 2.0
BHazard risk Grade
Flood & hazards in Basildon · Environment Agency

In Basildon, heavy rain puts more homes at risk than rivers or the sea: 17%, against under 0.1%

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. Basildon grades B for hazard risk: #19 of 81 in Essex.

1958worst recorded flood0flood warnings since 20060.3%at low risk
In brief

What stands out about Basildon’s hazards

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

Rain, more than the river17% of homes sit where heavy rain can flood the streets, against under 0.1% at risk from rivers and the sea.Remembers 1958Floodwater covered 126 hectares of today’s Basildon in 1958; 1,541 of today’s households live inside past flood outlines.No flood warning since 2006The Environment Agency has 1 warning area in Basildon and hasn’t had to issue a flood warning for it.Low radonEvery 1 km square over Basildon is in the lowest radon band: under 1% of homes above the action level.
By hazard

What Basildon faces

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

Rivers and the sea

under 0.1%of homes at high or medium risk
Fewer than the typical UK town · more than 35% of towns
4 homes by the EA’s own count

Surface water

17%of homes at high or medium risk
More than 98% of UK towns
About 7,930 households

Past floods

3years with a recorded flood
Last recorded: January 1968
1,541 households inside past outlines

The River Crouch

0.94 mhighest in winter 2025–26 at Noak Bridge
24th-highest of 26 winters
Record 1.14 m, January 2021

Flood warnings

0flood warnings since 2006
72 flood alerts for the wider area
Never warned

Radon

0%of the city 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

Basildon grades B for hazard risk

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

Homes at high or medium flood risk (under 0.1%)Fewer than 64% 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 Basildon

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: 1953Recorded flood: 1958Recorded flood: 1968© OpenStreetMap contributors · EA NaFRA2
HighMediumLowrivers & seaHighMediumLowsurface waterBasildon’s built-up area

The river and sea risk follows the Thames Estuary and the River Crouch. 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

Under 0.1% of Basildon’s homes are at high or medium risk from rivers or the sea

The Environment Agency’s national map, allowing for defences. A further 0.3% are at low risk.

High risk0%of homes · 1 in 30 a year or more1 homes, EA count
Medium riskunder 0.1%of homes · 1 in 30 to 1 in 1003 homes, EA count
Low risk0.3%of homes · 1 in 100 to 1 in 1,000157 homes, EA count
Where Basildon sits among 3,735 UK towns
35%None
23%Under 0.5%Basildon
9%0.5–1%
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; Basildon has more than 35% of towns.

Towns its size: 4th of 64 from the fewest homes at risk
#TownPeopleHigh or med.
1Oldham Greater Manchester110,7220%
2Birkenhead Merseyside109,8540%
3Kensington and Chelsea London143,348under 0.1%
4Basildon Essex115,935under 0.1%
5Ipswich Suffolk151,566under 0.1%
6Harlow Essex93,570under 0.1%
…
63Lincoln Lincolnshire104,5536%
64Grimsby Lincolnshire85,9158.9%

UK towns of 81,000 to 162,000 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

17% of Basildon’s homes are at high or medium risk from surface water

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 water17%
Rivers and the seaunder 0.1%
0%21%42% of homes

About 12% of homes are at high risk of surface-water flooding (a 1 in 30 chance or more each year) and 5% at medium risk: roughly 7,930 households. A further 22% face a low risk from surface water. That is more than 98% of UK towns.

~7,930
households at high or medium risk
22%
of homes at low risk
98%
of UK towns have a smaller share
53,870
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

Basildon has flooded in 3 recorded years since 1953, most of all in 1958

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

  1. 1968January 1968: River flooding recordedUnder 1 hectare inside today’s built-up area · September Flood
  2. 1958June 1958: The sea came in126 hectares inside today’s built-up area
  3. 1953January 1953: The sea came inUnder 1 hectare inside today’s built-up area · Coast Flood Essex
The worst: 1958126 ha

Floodwater covered 126 hectares of what is now Basildon in 1958, the largest flood the record holds here (June).

1,541 of Basildon’s households today live inside the outline of a recorded flood.

Since 1958, the largest recorded flood inside the city covered under 1 hectare.

River levels

The River Crouch at Noak Bridge: highest 1.14 m, in January 2021

The highest level each winter (October to September) at the Environment Agency’s Noak Bridge gauge (Great Burstead), since 1995. The river normally runs between -0.74 m and 0.25 m here.

Highest level each winter, metres
Winter 1995–96: highest 1.05 m · 31 days above the normal rangeWinter 1998–99: highest 1.15 m · 91 days above the normal rangeWinter 1999–00: highest 0.72 m · 6 days above the normal rangeWinter 2000–01: highest 1.96 m on 8 February 2001 · 144 days above the normal rangeWinter 2001–02: highest 1.51 m · 90 days above the normal rangeWinter 2002–03: highest 2.00 m on 30 December 2002 · 97 days above the normal rangeWinter 2003–04: highest 1.07 m · 81 days above the normal rangeWinter 2004–05: highest 1.12 m · 60 days above the normal rangeWinter 2006–07: highest 1.50 m · 119 days above the normal rangeWinter 2007–08: highest 1.36 m · 56 days above the normal rangeWinter 2008–09: highest 1.78 m · 50 days above the normal rangeWinter 2009–10: highest 1.51 m · 79 days above the normal rangeWinter 2010–11: highest 1.51 m · 59 days above the normal rangeWinter 2012–13: highest 1.97 m on 25 December 2012 · 92 days above the normal rangeWinter 2013–14: highest 1.92 m on 24 December 2013 · 111 days above the normal rangeWinter 2014–15: highest 1.50 m · 85 days above the normal rangeWinter 2015–16: highest 1.86 m on 23 June 2016 · 60 days above the normal rangeWinter 2016–17: highest 1.42 m · 53 days above the normal rangeWinter 2017–18: highest 1.21 m · 66 days above the normal rangeWinter 2018–19: highest 0.88 m · 56 days above the normal rangeWinter 2020–21: highest 1.79 m on 14 January 2021 · 87 days above the normal rangeWinter 2021–22: highest 1.28 m · 48 days above the normal rangeWinter 2022–23: highest 1.18 m · 66 days above the normal rangeWinter 2023–24: highest 1.31 m · 92 days above the normal rangeWinter 2024–25: highest 1.26 m · 45 days above the normal rangeWinter 2025–26: highest 0.94 m · 57 days above the normal range’02–03’12–13’00–01Record 1.14 m, 2021Top of normal range
1995–962025–26
The highest days on record
  • 30 December 20022.00 m
  • 25 December 20121.97 m
  • 8 February 20011.96 m
  • 24 December 20131.92 m
  • 24 August 20131.86 m
  • 23 June 20161.86 m

The River Crouch has topped its normal range on 1,881 days since 1995, most in the winters of 2000–01 and 2006–07. By its highest day, the winter of 2025–26 was the 24th-highest of the 26.

Environment Agency Hydrology API, Noak Bridge (station E22004), 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 Basildon · 0 warnings in 20 years

The Environment Agency has 1 flood warning area and 2 alert areas reaching into the city; warnings since the service began in 2006.

Now: no flood warnings or alerts for Basildon (checked 5 November 2026, 13:10). Check for flooding on GOV.UK →
Warnings and alerts each year for areas in Basildon
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)

None of Basildon’s 1 flood warning area has had a flood warning since the service began in 2006.

Show the 3 warning and alert areas
AreaKindSince 2006Now
The Thames estuary from Shellhaven, to and including TilburyWarning area0None
The Essex coast from Fobbing to Purfleet-on-ThamesAlert area36None
The River Crouch from Noaks Bridge to RunwellAlert area36None

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

Basildon 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).

TQ6589: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ6684: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ6685: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ6686: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ6687: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ6688: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ6689: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ6690: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ6691: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ6784: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ6785: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ6786: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ6787: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ6788: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ6789: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ6790: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ6791: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ6885: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ6886: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ6887: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ6888: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ6889: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ6890: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ6986: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ6987: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ6988: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ6989: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ6990: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ7086: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ7087: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ7088: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ7089: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ7090: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ7186: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ7187: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ7188: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ7189: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ7190: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ7191: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ7286: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ7287: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ7288: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ7289: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ7290: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ7291: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ7387: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ7388: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ7389: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ7390: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ7391: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ7487: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ7488: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ7489: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ7490: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ7491: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ7587: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ7588: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTQ7590: Under 1% of homes above the action level© OpenStreetMap contributors · BGS/UKHSA
Under 1%
Share of the city’s area in each band
Under 1% of homes100%

Every 1 km square over Basildon 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 Basildon

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

Crays Hill: Hazard risk C+North Benfleet: Hazard risk B−Wickford: Hazard risk B−Stanford-le-Hope: Hazard risk CBillericay: Hazard risk C+Runwell: Hazard risk BHorndon on the Hill: Hazard risk B−Crays HillNorth BenfleetWickfordStanford-le-HopeBillericayRunwellHorndon on the HillBasildon
ABCD
TownPeopleHigh or mediumLowHazard
Basildon115,935under 0.1%0.3%B
Crays Hill1,2180.6%1.7%C+
North Benfleet1,7650.3%1.5%B−
Wickford27,5330.1%4.5%B−
Stanford-le-Hope29,5271.4%4.8%C
Billericay34,0680.4%0.1%C+
Runwell8,086under 0.1%1.4%B
Horndon on the Hill1,5100.3%0%B−

Stanford-le-Hope, 3.7 miles south, has the most homes at risk around Basildon (1.4% at high or medium).

Be ready

Get ready for what Basildon 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.
  • Basildon’s warning areas include The Thames estuary from Shellhaven, to and including Tilbury.
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 Basildon
  • 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 Basildon

Does Basildon flood?

The last flood the Environment Agency recorded inside the city was in January 1968. Under 0.1% 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 17% of homes are at high or medium risk from surface water, when heavy rain overwhelms the drains. Basildon grades B for hazard risk against UK towns.

Which parts of Basildon are at risk of flooding?

From rivers and the sea, the places the Environment Agency warns directly: The Thames estuary from Shellhaven, to and including Tilbury. 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 Basildon last flood?

The recorded flood outlines inside the city run from 1953 to 1968 (3 years); the largest was in 1958.

Is Basildon at risk of surface water flooding?

About 12% of homes are at high risk and 5% at medium risk from surface water, against under 0.1% 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 Basildon?

Not by the atlas: every 1 km square over Basildon 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 Basildon now?

No flood warning or alert was in force near Basildon at 5 November 2026, 13:10. 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.