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Cobbled Street in WhitstablePhoto: Paste at English Wikipedia · Public domain
DHazard risk Grade
Flood & hazards in Whitstable · Environment Agency

Surface water, more than the river, is Whitstable’s flood risk: 8.4% of homes, against 3.4% 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. Whitstable’s Hazard risk Grade is D: #72 of 87 in Kent.

1953worst recorded flood7flood warnings since 20068.4%at low risk
In brief

What stands out about Whitstable’s hazards

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

Rain, more than the river8.4% of homes sit where heavy rain can flood the streets, against 3.4% at risk from rivers and the sea.Remembers 1953Floodwater covered 134 hectares of today’s Whitstable in 1953; 2,943 of today’s households live inside past flood outlines.7 flood warnings since 2006For the parts of Whitstable the Environment Agency warns directly; the most recent on 21 February 2022.Low radonEvery 1 km square over Whitstable is in the lowest radon band: under 1% of homes above the action level.
By hazard

What Whitstable faces

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

Rivers and the sea

3.4%of homes at high or medium risk
More than the typical UK town · more than 86% of towns
664 homes by the EA’s own count

Surface water

8.4%of homes at high or medium risk
More than 88% of UK towns
Rivers and sea: 3.4%

Past floods

5years with a recorded flood
Last recorded: August 2007
2,943 households inside past outlines

The Swalecliffe Brook

8.78 mhighest in winter 2024–25 at Grasmere Road
22nd-highest of 26 winters
Record 9.89 m, February 2001

Flood warnings

7flood warnings since 2006
199 flood alerts for the wider area
Last warning 21 February 2022

Radon

0%of the town 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

Whitstable grades D for hazard risk

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

Homes at high or medium flood risk (3.4%)Fewer than 14% 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 Whitstable

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: 1967Recorded flood: 1968Recorded flood: 2000Recorded flood: 2007© OpenStreetMap contributors · EA NaFRA2
HighMediumLowrivers & seaHighMediumLowsurface waterWhitstable’s built-up area

The river and sea risk follows the English Channel, the The Swale and the Plenty Brook. 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

3.4% of Whitstable’s homes are at high or medium risk from rivers or the sea

The Environment Agency’s national map, allowing for defences. A further 8.4% are at low risk.

High risk1.5%of homes · 1 in 30 a year or more328 homes, EA count
Medium risk1.9%of homes · 1 in 30 to 1 in 100336 homes, EA count
Low risk8.4%of homes · 1 in 100 to 1 in 1,0001,418 homes, EA count
Where Whitstable sits among 3,735 UK towns
35%None
23%Under 0.5%
9%0.5–1%
11%1–2%
11%2–5%Whitstable
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; Whitstable has more than 86% of towns.

Towns its size: 187th of 212 from the fewest homes at risk
#TownPeopleHigh or med.
1Grays Essex44,3400%
2Borehamwood Hertfordshire39,7600%
3Chadderton Greater Manchester37,6020%
…
185Rawtenstall Lancashire23,6833.2%
186Kendal Cumbria28,9393.3%
187Whitstable Kent32,1853.4%
188Newark-on-Trent Nottinghamshire29,7553.5%
189Retford Nottinghamshire23,7353.5%
…
211Wisbech Cambridgeshire26,80043%
212Spalding Lincolnshire30,55284%

UK towns of 23,000 to 45,000 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 2.5 times as many Whitstable 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 water8.4%
Rivers and the sea3.4%
0%10.5%21% of homes

About 4.5% of homes are at high risk of surface-water flooding (a 1 in 30 chance or more each year) and 3.9% at medium risk: roughly 1,220 households. A further 9.9% face a low risk from surface water. That is more than 88% of UK towns.

~1,220
households at high or medium risk
9.9%
of homes at low risk
88%
of UK towns have a smaller share
19,814
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

Whitstable has flooded in 5 recorded years since 1953, most of all in 1953

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

  1. 2007August 2007: River flooding recorded34 hectares inside today’s built-up area
  2. 2000November 2000: River flooding recorded10 hectares inside today’s built-up area
  3. 1968September 1968: The sea came in15 hectares inside today’s built-up area
  4. 1967April 1967: The sea came in7 hectares inside today’s built-up area
  5. 1953February 1953: The sea came in134 hectares inside today’s built-up area
The worst: 1953134 ha

Floodwater covered 134 hectares of what is now Whitstable in 1953, the largest flood the record holds here (February).

2,943 of Whitstable’s households today live inside the outline of a recorded flood.

Since 1953, the largest recorded flood inside the town covered 34 hectares.

River levels

The Swalecliffe Brook at Grasmere Road: highest 9.89 m, in February 2001

The highest level each winter (October to September) at the Environment Agency’s Grasmere Road gauge (Swalecliffe), since 1999. The river normally runs between 8.16 m and 8.50 m here.

Highest level each winter, metres
Winter 1999–00: highest 9.85 m on 4 April 2000 · 13 days above the normal rangeWinter 2000–01: highest 9.89 m on 8 February 2001 · 38 days above the normal rangeWinter 2001–02: highest 9.08 m · 5 days above the normal rangeWinter 2002–03: highest 9.60 m on 30 December 2002 · 11 days above the normal rangeWinter 2003–04: highest 9.40 m · 7 days above the normal rangeWinter 2004–05: highest 8.48 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 2005–06: highest 8.68 m · 2 days above the normal rangeWinter 2006–07: highest 9.02 m · 12 days above the normal rangeWinter 2007–08: highest 9.18 m · 10 days above the normal rangeWinter 2008–09: highest 9.27 m · 10 days above the normal rangeWinter 2009–10: highest 9.45 m · 17 days above the normal rangeWinter 2010–11: highest 8.73 m · 3 days above the normal rangeWinter 2011–12: highest 8.91 m · 2 days above the normal rangeWinter 2012–13: highest 9.51 m · 22 days above the normal rangeWinter 2013–14: highest 9.81 m on 24 December 2013 · 57 days above the normal rangeWinter 2014–15: highest 9.42 m · 25 days above the normal rangeWinter 2015–16: highest 9.21 m · 13 days above the normal rangeWinter 2016–17: highest 8.53 m · 1 days above the normal rangeWinter 2017–18: highest 9.23 m · 5 days above the normal rangeWinter 2018–19: highest 8.81 m · 4 days above the normal rangeWinter 2019–20: highest 9.73 m on 5 March 2020 · 23 days above the normal rangeWinter 2020–21: highest 9.67 m on 27 December 2020 · 29 days above the normal rangeWinter 2021–22: highest 8.81 m · 3 days above the normal rangeWinter 2022–23: highest 9.37 m · 20 days above the normal rangeWinter 2023–24: highest 9.32 m · 20 days above the normal rangeWinter 2024–25: highest 8.78 m · 6 days above the normal range’00–01’99–00’13–14Record 9.89 m, 2001Top of normal range
1999–002024–25
The highest days on record
  • 8 February 20019.89 m
  • 4 April 20009.85 m
  • 24 December 20139.81 m
  • 5 March 20209.73 m
  • 25 December 19999.72 m
  • 27 December 20209.67 m

The Swalecliffe Brook has topped its normal range on 358 days since 1999, most in the winters of 2013–14 and 2000–01. By its highest day, the winter of 2024–25 was the 22nd-highest of the 26.

Environment Agency Hydrology API, Grasmere Road (station E3070), 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 Whitstable · 7 warnings in 20 years

The Environment Agency has 4 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 Whitstable (checked 3 November 2026, 14:58). Check for flooding on GOV.UK →
Warnings and alerts each year for areas in Whitstable
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 Whitstable, Coast from Whitstable to Herne Bay, has not had a flood warning since 2006. Of the 7 warnings, 5 were for Swalecliffe Brook and 2 for Coast from Kemsley to Seasalter.

2020 had the most warnings (2). The most recent warning was on 21 February 2022.

Show the 7 warning and alert areas
AreaKindSince 2006Now
Swalecliffe BrookWarning area5None
Coast from Kemsley to SeasalterWarning area2None
Coast from Whitstable to Herne BayWarning area0None
Gorrell Stream at WhitstableWarning area0None
Isle of Sheppey and coast from Kemsley to SeasalterAlert area97None
Coast from Whitstable to MargateAlert area58None
Plenty, Swalecliffe and West BrooksAlert area44None

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

Whitstable 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).

TR0764: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTR0765: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTR0864: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTR0865: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTR0963: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTR0964: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTR0965: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTR1063: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTR1064: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTR1065: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTR1066: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTR1067: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTR1164: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTR1165: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTR1166: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTR1167: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTR1264: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTR1265: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTR1266: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTR1267: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTR1365: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTR1366: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTR1367: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTR1465: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTR1466: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTR1467: Under 1% of homes above the action level© OpenStreetMap contributors · BGS/UKHSA
Under 1%
Share of the town’s area in each band
Under 1% of homes100%

Every 1 km square over Whitstable 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 Whitstable

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

Blean: Hazard risk AHerne: Hazard risk C+Rough Common: Hazard risk B−Herne Bay: Hazard risk DSturry: Hazard risk DCanterbury: Hazard risk DBoughton under Blean: Hazard risk ABleanHerneRough CommonHerne BaySturryCanterburyBoughton under BleanWhitstable
ABCD
TownPeopleHigh or mediumLowHazard
Whitstable32,1853.4%8.4%D
Blean1,3270%0%A
Herne14,8740.4%0.6%C+
Rough Common1,2910.2%0%B−
Herne Bay24,8736.9%0.7%D
Sturry4,8577.6%1.9%D
Canterbury55,1075.5%3.4%D
Boughton under Blean2,2740%0%A

Sturry, 5.2 miles south-east, has the most homes at risk around Whitstable (7.6% at high or medium). Blean and Boughton under Blean have none.

Be ready

Get ready for what Whitstable 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.
  • Whitstable’s warning areas include Coast from Whitstable to Herne Bay and Coast from Kemsley to Seasalter.
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 Whitstable
  • 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 Whitstable

Does Whitstable flood?

The last flood the Environment Agency recorded inside the town was in August 2007. 3.4% 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 8.4% of homes are at high or medium risk from surface water, when heavy rain overwhelms the drains. Whitstable grades D for hazard risk against UK towns.

Which parts of Whitstable are at risk of flooding?

From rivers and the sea, the places the Environment Agency warns directly: Swalecliffe Brook, Coast from Kemsley to Seasalter, Coast from Whitstable to Herne Bay and Gorrell Stream at Whitstable. 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 Whitstable last flood?

The recorded flood outlines inside the town run from 1953 to 2007 (5 years); the largest was in 1953. Flood warnings have been issued for parts of the town since 2006, most recently on 21 February 2022.

Is Whitstable at risk of surface water flooding?

About 4.5% of homes are at high risk and 3.9% at medium risk from surface water, against 3.4% 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 Whitstable?

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

No flood warning or alert was in force near Whitstable 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.