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Scarborough, North Yorkshire. (4 of 7)Photo: Thomas Tolkien · CC BY 2.0
C+Hazard risk Grade
Flood & hazards in Scarborough · Environment Agency

Surface water, more than the river, is Scarborough’s flood risk: 3.3% of homes, against 0.5% 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. For hazard risk, Scarborough grades C+: #21 of 54 in North Yorkshire.

2013worst recorded flood123flood warnings since 200677%in a radon Affected Area
In brief

What stands out about Scarborough’s hazards

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

Rain, more than the river3.3% of homes sit where heavy rain can flood the streets, against 0.5% at risk from rivers and the sea.Remembers 2013Floodwater covered 6 hectares of today’s Scarborough in 2013; 35 of today’s households live inside past flood outlines.123 flood warnings since 2006For the parts of Scarborough the Environment Agency warns directly; the most recent on 18 February 2026.Radon in parts62% of the town is in 1 km squares where 5% or more of homes may be above the radon action level.
By hazard

What Scarborough faces

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

Rivers and the sea

0.5%of homes at high or medium risk
More than the typical UK town · more than 59% of towns
153 homes by the EA’s own count

Surface water

3.3%of homes at high or medium risk
More than 46% of UK towns
Rivers and sea: 0.5%

Past floods

2years with a recorded flood
Last recorded: January 2017
35 households inside past outlines

The Sea Cut

0.98 mhighest in winter 2025–26 at Scarborough
15th-highest of 34 winters
Record 1.34 m, August 2002

Flood warnings

123flood warnings since 2006
277 flood alerts for the wider area
Last warning 18 February 2026

Radon

77%of the town in a radon Affected Area
Highest band here: 10–30% of homes
62% 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

Scarborough grades C+ for hazard risk

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

Homes at high or medium flood risk (0.5%)Fewer than 41% 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 Scarborough

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: 2013Recorded flood: 2017© OpenStreetMap contributors · EA NaFRA2
HighMediumLowrivers & seaHighMediumLowsurface waterScarborough’s built-up area

The river and sea risk follows the North Sea, the River Derwent and the Sea Cut. 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

0.5% of Scarborough’s homes are at high or medium risk from rivers or the sea

The Environment Agency’s national map, allowing for defences. A further 0.6% are at low risk.

High risk0.4%of homes · 1 in 30 a year or more109 homes, EA count
Medium risk0.2%of homes · 1 in 30 to 1 in 10044 homes, EA count
Low risk0.6%of homes · 1 in 100 to 1 in 1,000161 homes, EA count
Where Scarborough sits among 3,735 UK towns
35%None
23%Under 0.5%Scarborough
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; Scarborough has more than 59% of towns.

Towns its size: 59th of 124 from the fewest homes at risk
#TownPeopleHigh or med.
1Dudley West Midlands64,2770%
2Smethwick West Midlands56,3430%
3Bootle Merseyside53,7220%
…
57Kidderminster Worcestershire57,5670.4%
58Woking Surrey75,6550.5%
59Scarborough North Yorkshire59,5050.5%
60Dartford Kent69,1310.5%
61Royal Leamington Spa Warwickshire51,3210.5%
…
123Maidenhead Berkshire67,3916%
124West Molesey Surrey47,1447.2%

UK towns of 42,000 to 83,000 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 6.6 times as many Scarborough 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 water3.3%
Rivers and the sea0.5%
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 1.6% at medium risk: roughly 940 households. A further 5.7% face a low risk from surface water. That is more than 46% of UK towns.

~940
households at high or medium risk
5.7%
of homes at low risk
46%
of UK towns have a smaller share
48,811
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

Scarborough has flooded in 2 recorded years since 2013, most of all in 2013

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

  1. 2017January 2017: The sea came in3 hectares inside today’s built-up area · East Coast Tidal
  2. 2013December 2013: The sea came in6 hectares inside today’s built-up area
The worst: 20136 ha

Floodwater covered 6 hectares of what is now Scarborough in 2013, the largest flood the record holds here (December).

35 of Scarborough’s households today live inside the outline of a recorded flood.

Since 2013, the largest recorded flood inside the town covered 3 hectares.

River levels

The Sea Cut at Scarborough: highest 1.34 m, in August 2002

The highest level each winter (October to September) at the Environment Agency’s Scarborough gauge (Scalby Mills), since 1990. The river normally runs between 0.08 m and 0.37 m here.

Highest level each winter, metres
Winter 1990–91: highest 1.10 m · 26 days above the normal rangeWinter 1991–92: highest 0.96 m · 18 days above the normal rangeWinter 1992–93: highest 1.01 m · 34 days above the normal rangeWinter 1993–94: highest 1.09 m · 55 days above the normal rangeWinter 1994–95: highest 0.66 m · 26 days above the normal rangeWinter 1995–96: highest 0.82 m · 22 days above the normal rangeWinter 1996–97: highest 0.98 m · 17 days above the normal rangeWinter 1997–98: highest 1.11 m on 3 June 1998 · 39 days above the normal rangeWinter 1998–99: highest 1.23 m on 6 March 1999 · 38 days above the normal rangeWinter 1999–00: highest 0.97 m · 45 days above the normal rangeWinter 2000–01: highest 1.22 m on 31 October 2000 · 78 days above the normal rangeWinter 2001–02: highest 1.34 m on 2 August 2002 · 26 days above the normal rangeWinter 2002–03: highest 1.08 m · 66 days above the normal rangeWinter 2003–04: highest 0.99 m · 41 days above the normal rangeWinter 2004–05: highest 1.02 m · 22 days above the normal rangeWinter 2005–06: highest 0.91 m · 37 days above the normal rangeWinter 2006–07: highest 1.12 m on 25 June 2007 · 47 days above the normal rangeWinter 2007–08: highest 1.08 m · 44 days above the normal rangeWinter 2008–09: highest 0.87 m · 20 days above the normal rangeWinter 2009–10: highest 1.19 m on 26 February 2010 · 45 days above the normal rangeWinter 2010–11: highest 0.86 m · 43 days above the normal rangeWinter 2011–12: highest 0.91 m · 30 days above the normal rangeWinter 2013–14: highest 0.64 m · 19 days above the normal rangeWinter 2014–15: highest 0.63 m · 18 days above the normal rangeWinter 2016–17: highest 0.94 m · 26 days above the normal rangeWinter 2017–18: highest 0.98 m · 47 days above the normal rangeWinter 2018–19: highest 0.68 m · 25 days above the normal rangeWinter 2019–20: highest 0.90 m · 57 days above the normal rangeWinter 2020–21: highest 0.84 m · 78 days above the normal rangeWinter 2021–22: highest 0.81 m · 18 days above the normal rangeWinter 2022–23: highest 0.88 m · 47 days above the normal rangeWinter 2023–24: highest 1.04 m · 85 days above the normal rangeWinter 2024–25: highest 0.92 m · 19 days above the normal rangeWinter 2025–26: highest 0.98 m · 59 days above the normal range’01–02’98–99’00–01Record 1.34 m, 2002Top of normal range
1990–912025–26
The highest days on record
  • 2 August 20021.34 m
  • 6 March 19991.23 m
  • 31 October 20001.22 m
  • 26 February 20101.19 m
  • 8 November 20001.15 m
  • 25 June 20071.12 m

The Sea Cut has topped its normal range on 1,317 days since 1990, most in the winters of 2023–24 and 2000–01. By its highest day, the winter of 2025–26 was the 15th-highest of the 34.

Environment Agency Hydrology API, Scarborough (station F2603), 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 Scarborough · 123 warnings in 20 years

The Environment Agency has 5 flood warning areas and 2 alert areas reaching into the town; warnings since the service began in 2006.

Now: no flood warnings or alerts for Scarborough (checked 13 November 2026, 03:06). Check for flooding on GOV.UK →
Warnings and alerts each year for areas in Scarborough
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 123 warnings, 47 were for North Sea at Scarborough - Foreshore Road and 39 for North Sea at Scarborough - Sandside. 2020 had the most warnings (18); 2012 the most alerts (29).

The most recent warning was on 18 February 2026.

Show the 7 warning and alert areas
AreaKindSince 2006Now
North Sea at Scarborough - Foreshore RoadWarning area47None
North Sea at Scarborough - SandsideWarning area39None
North Sea at Scarborough - Spa ComplexWarning area30None
North Sea at Scarborough - North BayWarning area4None
Sea Cut at Mowthorpe, Scalby and Newby including Newby BeckWarning area3None
North Sea coast from Whitby to FileyAlert area210None
Upper River DerwentAlert area67None

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 Scarborough 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).

TA0089: 10–30% of homes above the action levelTA0187: 10–30% of homes above the action levelTA0188: 10–30% of homes above the action levelTA0189: 10–30% of homes above the action levelTA0190: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTA0283: 5–10% of homes above the action levelTA0284: 5–10% of homes above the action levelTA0285: 5–10% of homes above the action levelTA0286: 10–30% of homes above the action levelTA0287: 10–30% of homes above the action levelTA0288: 10–30% of homes above the action levelTA0289: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTA0290: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTA0291: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTA0382: 1–3% of homes above the action levelTA0383: 5–10% of homes above the action levelTA0384: 5–10% of homes above the action levelTA0385: 10–30% of homes above the action levelTA0386: 10–30% of homes above the action levelTA0387: 10–30% of homes above the action levelTA0388: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTA0389: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTA0390: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTA0482: 1–3% of homes above the action levelTA0483: 1–3% of homes above the action levelTA0484: 5–10% of homes above the action levelTA0485: 5–10% of homes above the action levelTA0486: 5–10% of homes above the action levelTA0487: 10–30% of homes above the action levelTA0488: 5–10% of homes above the action levelTA0489: 10–30% of homes above the action levelTA0582: Under 1% of homes above the action levelTA0583: 1–3% of homes above the action levelTA0584: 1–3% of homes above the action levelTA0585: 5–10% of homes above the action levelTA0586: 10–30% of homes above the action levelTA0588: 5–10% of homes above the action levelTA0589: 5–10% of homes above the action levelTA0683: 1–3% of homes above the action levelTA0684: 5–10% of homes above the action levelTA0685: 5–10% of homes above the action level© OpenStreetMap contributors · BGS/UKHSA
Under 1%1–3%5–10%10–30%
Share of the town’s area in each band
Under 1% of homes24%
1–3% of homes15%
5–10% of homes27%
10–30% of homes35%

77% of Scarborough’s built-up area is in a radon Affected Area (1% of homes or more above the action level), and 62% 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 Scarborough

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

Scalby: Hazard risk DSeamer (Scarborough): Hazard risk B+East Ayton and West Ayton: Hazard risk CBurniston: Hazard risk DFiley: Hazard risk AHunmanby: Hazard risk AScalbySeamer (Scarborough)East Ayton and West AytonBurnistonFileyHunmanbyScarborough
ABCD
TownPeopleHigh or mediumLowHazard
Scarborough59,5050.5%0.6%C+
Scalby1,7904.1%1.2%D
Seamer (Scarborough)2,1200%0.9%B+
East Ayton and West Ayton2,8091%5.6%C
Burniston1,4704.6%2.6%D
Filey6,6640%0%A
Hunmanby2,9000%0%A

Burniston, 3.7 miles north, has the most homes at risk around Scarborough (4.6% at high or medium). Seamer (Scarborough), Filey and Hunmanby have none.

Be ready

Get ready for what Scarborough 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.
  • Scarborough’s warning areas include Sea Cut at Mowthorpe, Scalby and Newby including Newby Beck and North Sea at Scarborough - Sandside.
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 Scarborough
  • 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 Scarborough

Does Scarborough flood?

The last flood the Environment Agency recorded inside the town was in January 2017. 0.5% 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 3.3% of homes are at high or medium risk from surface water, when heavy rain overwhelms the drains. Scarborough grades C+ for hazard risk against UK towns.

Which parts of Scarborough are at risk of flooding?

From rivers and the sea, the places the Environment Agency warns directly: North Sea at Scarborough - Foreshore Road, North Sea at Scarborough - Sandside, North Sea at Scarborough - Spa Complex and North Sea at Scarborough - North Bay. 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 Scarborough last flood?

The recorded flood outlines inside the town run from 2013 to 2017 (2 years); the largest was in 2013. Flood warnings have been issued for parts of the town since 2006, most recently on 18 February 2026.

Is Scarborough at risk of surface water flooding?

About 1.7% of homes are at high risk and 1.6% at medium risk from surface water, against 0.5% 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 Scarborough?

77% of the town’s built-up area is in a radon Affected Area on the BGS/UKHSA atlas, and 62% 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 Scarborough now?

No flood warning or alert was in force near Scarborough at 13 November 2026, 03:06. 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.