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C−Hazard risk Grade
Flood & hazards in Shrewsbury · Environment Agency

In Shrewsbury, heavy rain puts more homes at risk than rivers or the sea: 5.2%, against 2.3%

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. Shrewsbury grades C− for hazard risk: #16 of 19 in Shropshire.

1948worst recorded flood69flood warnings since 200684%in a radon Affected Area
In brief

What stands out about Shrewsbury’s hazards

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

Rain, more than the river5.2% of homes sit where heavy rain can flood the streets, against 2.3% at risk from rivers and the sea.Remembers 1948Floodwater covered 51 hectares of today’s Shrewsbury in 1948; 909 of today’s households live inside past flood outlines.69 flood warnings since 2006For the parts of Shrewsbury the Environment Agency warns directly; the most recent on 10 December 2025.Radon in parts9% of the town is in 1 km squares where 5% or more of homes may be above the radon action level.
By hazard

What Shrewsbury faces

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

Rivers and the sea

2.3%of homes at high or medium risk
More than the typical UK town · more than 81% of towns
864 homes by the EA’s own count

Surface water

5.2%of homes at high or medium risk
More than 71% of UK towns
Rivers and sea: 2.3%

Past floods

5years with a recorded flood
Last recorded: February 2004
909 households inside past outlines

The River Severn

3.82 mhighest in winter 2025–26 at Welsh Bridge
21st-highest of 36 winters
Record 5.25 m, November 2000

Flood warnings

69flood warnings since 2006
308 flood alerts for the wider area
Last warning 10 December 2025

Radon

84%of the town in a radon Affected Area
Highest band here: 5–10% of homes
9% 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

Shrewsbury grades C− for hazard risk

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

Homes at high or medium flood risk (2.3%)Fewer than 19% 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 Shrewsbury

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: 1948Recorded flood: 1960Recorded flood: 1998Recorded flood: 2000Recorded flood: 2004© OpenStreetMap contributors · EA NaFRA2
HighMediumLowrivers & seaHighMediumLowsurface waterShrewsbury’s built-up area

The river and sea risk follows the River Severn, the Rea Brook and the Cound 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

2.3% of Shrewsbury’s homes are at high or medium risk from rivers or the sea

The Environment Agency’s national map, allowing for defences. A further 4.8% are at low risk.

High risk1.1%of homes · 1 in 30 a year or more438 homes, EA count
Medium risk1.2%of homes · 1 in 30 to 1 in 100426 homes, EA count
Low risk4.8%of homes · 1 in 100 to 1 in 1,0001,706 homes, EA count
Where Shrewsbury sits among 3,735 UK towns
35%None
23%Under 0.5%
9%0.5–1%
11%1–2%
11%2–5%Shrewsbury
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; Shrewsbury has more than 81% of towns.

Towns its size: 80th of 94 from the fewest homes at risk
#TownPeopleHigh or med.
1Dudley West Midlands64,2770%
2Smethwick West Midlands56,3430%
3Bootle Merseyside53,7220%
…
78Carlisle Cumbria77,7291.8%
79Hastings East Sussex91,4972.1%
80Shrewsbury Shropshire76,0132.3%
81Lowestoft Suffolk71,3082.4%
82Barrow-in-Furness Cumbria55,2602.4%
…
93Maidenhead Berkshire67,3916%
94Grimsby Lincolnshire85,9158.9%

UK towns of 53,000 to 106,000 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 2.2 times as many Shrewsbury 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 water5.2%
Rivers and the sea2.3%
0%7%14% of homes

About 2.4% of homes are at high risk of surface-water flooding (a 1 in 30 chance or more each year) and 2.8% at medium risk: roughly 1,750 households. A further 7.4% face a low risk from surface water. That is more than 71% of UK towns.

~1,750
households at high or medium risk
7.4%
of homes at low risk
71%
of UK towns have a smaller share
43,576
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

Shrewsbury has flooded in 5 recorded years since 1948, most of all in 1948

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

  1. 2004February 2004: River flooding recorded21 hectares inside today’s built-up area · Upper Severn
  2. 2000September 2000: River flooding recorded46 hectares inside today’s built-up area · Autumn (Upper Severn
  3. 1998October 1998: River flooding recorded32 hectares inside today’s built-up area
  4. 1960December 1960: River flooding recorded34 hectares inside today’s built-up area · Upper Severn
  5. 1948January 1948: River flooding recorded51 hectares inside today’s built-up area · Upper Severn
The worst: 194851 ha

Floodwater covered 51 hectares of what is now Shrewsbury in 1948, the largest flood the record holds here (January).

909 of Shrewsbury’s households today live inside the outline of a recorded flood.

Since 1948, the largest recorded flood inside the town covered 46 hectares.

River levels

The River Severn at Welsh Bridge: highest 5.25 m, in November 2000

The highest level each winter (October to September) at the Environment Agency’s Welsh Bridge gauge, since 1990. The river normally runs between 0.42 m and 2.70 m here.

Highest level each winter, metres
Winter 1990–91: highest 3.47 m · 12 days above the normal rangeWinter 1991–92: highest 3.72 m · 3 days above the normal rangeWinter 1992–93: highest 3.59 m · 4 days above the normal rangeWinter 1993–94: highest 4.24 m · 21 days above the normal rangeWinter 1994–95: highest 4.11 m · 21 days above the normal rangeWinter 1995–96: highest 3.02 m · 4 days above the normal rangeWinter 1996–97: highest 2.65 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 1997–98: highest 4.23 m · 13 days above the normal rangeWinter 1998–99: highest 4.87 m on 29 October 1998 · 22 days above the normal rangeWinter 1999–00: highest 3.68 m · 11 days above the normal rangeWinter 2000–01: highest 5.25 m on 1 November 2000 · 28 days above the normal rangeWinter 2001–02: highest 4.73 m on 12 February 2002 · 20 days above the normal rangeWinter 2002–03: highest 2.93 m · 6 days above the normal rangeWinter 2003–04: highest 4.80 m on 6 February 2004 · 8 days above the normal rangeWinter 2004–05: highest 3.04 m · 4 days above the normal rangeWinter 2005–06: highest 3.72 m · 6 days above the normal rangeWinter 2006–07: highest 4.56 m · 29 days above the normal rangeWinter 2007–08: highest 4.60 m · 19 days above the normal rangeWinter 2008–09: highest 3.20 m · 2 days above the normal rangeWinter 2009–10: highest 3.70 m · 15 days above the normal rangeWinter 2010–11: highest 4.41 m · 4 days above the normal rangeWinter 2011–12: highest 3.41 m · 4 days above the normal rangeWinter 2012–13: highest 4.04 m · 21 days above the normal rangeWinter 2013–14: highest 4.44 m · 31 days above the normal rangeWinter 2014–15: highest 3.22 m · 4 days above the normal rangeWinter 2015–16: highest 4.07 m · 19 days above the normal rangeWinter 2016–17: highest 2.41 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 2017–18: highest 3.02 m · 3 days above the normal rangeWinter 2018–19: highest 3.92 m · 9 days above the normal rangeWinter 2019–20: highest 5.12 m on 25 February 2020 · 38 days above the normal rangeWinter 2020–21: highest 4.95 m on 22 January 2021 · 19 days above the normal rangeWinter 2021–22: highest 5.15 m on 22 February 2022 · 12 days above the normal rangeWinter 2022–23: highest 4.50 m · 17 days above the normal rangeWinter 2023–24: highest 4.69 m · 27 days above the normal rangeWinter 2024–25: highest 4.13 m · 17 days above the normal rangeWinter 2025–26: highest 3.82 m · 7 days above the normal range’00–01’21–22’19–20Record 5.25 m, 2000Top of normal range
1990–912025–26
The highest days on record
  • 1 November 20005.25 m
  • 22 February 20225.15 m
  • 25 February 20205.12 m
  • 22 January 20214.95 m
  • 29 October 19984.87 m
  • 6 February 20044.80 m

The River Severn has topped its normal range on 480 days since 1990, most in the winters of 2019–20 and 2013–14. By its highest day, the winter of 2025–26 was the 21st-highest of the 36.

Environment Agency Hydrology API, Welsh Bridge (station 2077), 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 Shrewsbury · 69 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 Shrewsbury (checked 11 November 2026, 20:18). Check for flooding on GOV.UK →
Warnings and alerts each year for areas in Shrewsbury
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 69 warnings, 43 were for River Severn at the Showground and The Quarry, Shrewsbury and 20 for River Severn at Shrewsbury. 2023 had the most warnings (14); 2007 the most alerts (32).

The most recent warning was on 10 December 2025.

Show the 7 warning and alert areas
AreaKindSince 2006Now
River Severn at the Showground and The Quarry, ShrewsburyWarning area43None
River Severn at ShrewsburyWarning area20None
River Severn at Frankwell, ShrewsburyWarning area3None
Rea Brook in ShrewsburyWarning area2None
River Severn at Coleham Head, ShrewsburyWarning area1None
River Severn in ShropshireAlert area166None
Rea Brook and Cound BrookAlert area142None

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 Shrewsbury are in radon Affected Areas, up to the 5–10% 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).

SJ4412: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSJ4413: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSJ4512: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSJ4513: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSJ4514: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSJ4611: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSJ4612: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSJ4613: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSJ4710: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSJ4711: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSJ4712: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSJ4713: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSJ4809: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSJ4810: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSJ4811: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSJ4812: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSJ4813: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSJ4909: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSJ4910: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSJ4911: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSJ4912: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSJ4913: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSJ4914: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSJ4915: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSJ4916: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSJ5009: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSJ5010: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSJ5011: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSJ5012: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSJ5013: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSJ5014: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSJ5015: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSJ5016: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSJ5110: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSJ5111: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSJ5112: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSJ5113: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSJ5114: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSJ5115: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSJ5116: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSJ5117: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSJ5210: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSJ5213: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSJ5214: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSJ5215: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSJ5216: 1–3% of homes above the action level© OpenStreetMap contributors · BGS/UKHSA
Under 1%1–3%3–5%5–10%
Share of the town’s area in each band
Under 1% of homes16%
1–3% of homes26%
3–5% of homes49%
5–10% of homes9%

84% of Shrewsbury’s built-up area is in a radon Affected Area (1% of homes or more above the action level), and 9% in squares of 5% or more, mostly on the south side of the town.

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 Shrewsbury

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

Bayston Hill: Hazard risk AHanwood: Hazard risk B+Bomere Heath: Hazard risk AShawbury: Hazard risk ABaschurch: Hazard risk APontesbury: Hazard risk CMinsterley: Hazard risk CBayston HillHanwoodBomere HeathShawburyBaschurchPontesburyMinsterleyShrewsbury
ABCD
TownPeopleHigh or mediumLowHazard
Shrewsbury76,0132.3%4.8%C−
Bayston Hill5,2210%0%A
Hanwood1,2570%0.5%B+
Bomere Heath1,3640%0%A
Shawbury1,9620%0%A
Baschurch2,0070%0%A
Pontesbury1,9681.3%1.4%C
Minsterley1,7191.1%5.9%C

Shrewsbury has more homes at high or medium risk than any neighbour in the table.

Be ready

Get ready for what Shrewsbury 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.
  • Shrewsbury’s warning areas include River Severn at Shrewsbury and Rea Brook in Shrewsbury.
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 Shrewsbury
  • 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 Shrewsbury

Does Shrewsbury flood?

The last flood the Environment Agency recorded inside the town was in February 2004. 2.3% 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 5.2% of homes are at high or medium risk from surface water, when heavy rain overwhelms the drains. Shrewsbury grades C− for hazard risk against UK towns.

Which parts of Shrewsbury are at risk of flooding?

From rivers and the sea, the places the Environment Agency warns directly: River Severn at the Showground and The Quarry, Shrewsbury, River Severn at Shrewsbury, River Severn at Frankwell, Shrewsbury and Rea Brook in Shrewsbury. 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 Shrewsbury last flood?

The recorded flood outlines inside the town run from 1948 to 2004 (5 years); the largest was in 1948. Flood warnings have been issued for parts of the town since 2006, most recently on 10 December 2025.

Is Shrewsbury at risk of surface water flooding?

About 2.4% of homes are at high risk and 2.8% at medium risk from surface water, against 2.3% 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 Shrewsbury?

84% of the town’s built-up area is in a radon Affected Area on the BGS/UKHSA atlas, and 9% 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 Shrewsbury now?

No flood warning or alert was in force near Shrewsbury at 11 November 2026, 20:18. 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.