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

Heavy rain is Telford’s main flood risk: 4.9% of homes, against 0.4% 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. For hazard risk, Telford grades C+: #13 of 19 in Shropshire.

1960worst recorded flood33flood warnings since 200668%in a radon Affected Area
In brief

What stands out about Telford’s hazards

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

Rain, more than the river4.9% of homes sit where heavy rain can flood the streets, against 0.4% at risk from rivers and the sea.Remembers 1960Floodwater covered 9 hectares of today’s Telford in 1960; 41 of today’s households live inside past flood outlines.33 flood warnings since 2006For the parts of Telford the Environment Agency warns directly; the most recent on 16 November 2025.Radon in parts32% of the city is in 1 km squares where 5% or more of homes may be above the radon action level.
By hazard

What Telford faces

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

Rivers and the sea

0.4%of homes at high or medium risk
More than the typical UK town · more than 55% of towns
254 homes by the EA’s own count

Surface water

4.9%of homes at high or medium risk
More than 68% of UK towns
Rivers and sea: 0.4%

Past floods

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

The River Severn

4.86 mhighest in winter 2025–26 at Buildwas
25th-highest of 33 winters
Record 7.04 m, November 2000

Flood warnings

33flood warnings since 2006
438 flood alerts for the wider area
Last warning 16 November 2025

Radon

68%of the city in a radon Affected Area
Highest band here: Over 30% of homes
32% 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

Telford grades C+ for hazard risk

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

Homes at high or medium flood risk (0.4%)Fewer than 45% 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 Telford

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 waterTelford’s built-up area

The river and sea risk follows the River Severn, the River Worfe and the River Tern. 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

0.4% of Telford’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 risk0.2%of homes · 1 in 30 a year or more164 homes, EA count
Medium risk0.1%of homes · 1 in 30 to 1 in 10090 homes, EA count
Low risk0.3%of homes · 1 in 100 to 1 in 1,000191 homes, EA count
Where Telford sits among 3,735 UK towns
35%None
23%Under 0.5%Telford
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; Telford has more than 55% of towns.

Towns its size: 18th of 48 from the fewest homes at risk
#TownPeopleHigh or med.
1Islington London216,3090%
2Camden London209,3420%
3Westminster London203,5710%
…
16Southend-on-Sea Essex182,2950.4%
17Swansea West Glamorgan170,0900.4%
18Telford Shropshire156,8900.4%
19Rochdale Greater Manchester111,2580.4%
20Huddersfield West Yorkshire141,6830.4%
…
47Gloucester Gloucestershire118,5624.5%
48Oxford Oxfordshire170,7994.7%

UK towns of 110,000 to 220,000 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 13.2 times as many Telford 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 water4.9%
Rivers and the sea0.4%
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 2.5% at medium risk: roughly 3,190 households. A further 7.3% face a low risk from surface water. That is more than 68% of UK towns.

~3,190
households at high or medium risk
7.3%
of homes at low risk
68%
of UK towns have a smaller share
80,870
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

Telford has flooded in 5 recorded years since 1948, most of all in 1960

Every flood the Environment Agency has mapped inside Telford’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 recorded4 hectares inside today’s built-up area · Upper Severn
  2. 2000September 2000: River flooding recorded8 hectares inside today’s built-up area · Autumn (Upper Severn
  3. 1998October 1998: River flooding recorded7 hectares inside today’s built-up area
  4. 1960December 1960: River flooding recorded9 hectares inside today’s built-up area · Upper Severn
  5. 1948January 1948: River flooding recorded4 hectares inside today’s built-up area · Upper Severn
The worst: 19609 ha

Floodwater covered 9 hectares of what is now Telford in 1960, the largest flood the record holds here (December).

41 of Telford’s households today live inside the outline of a recorded flood.

Since 1960, the largest recorded flood inside the city covered 8 hectares.

River levels

The River Severn at Buildwas: highest 7.04 m, in November 2000

The highest level each winter (October to September) at the Environment Agency’s Buildwas gauge (Buildwas), since 1990. The river normally runs between 0.42 m and 3.40 m here.

Highest level each winter, metres
Winter 1990–91: highest 4.95 m · 27 days above the normal rangeWinter 1991–92: highest 4.53 m · 7 days above the normal rangeWinter 1992–93: highest 5.13 m · 21 days above the normal rangeWinter 1993–94: highest 5.82 m · 58 days above the normal rangeWinter 1994–95: highest 5.55 m · 46 days above the normal rangeWinter 1995–96: highest 4.13 m · 7 days above the normal rangeWinter 1996–97: highest 3.67 m · 11 days above the normal rangeWinter 1997–98: highest 5.66 m · 27 days above the normal rangeWinter 1998–99: highest 6.15 m · 44 days above the normal rangeWinter 1999–00: highest 5.02 m · 30 days above the normal rangeWinter 2000–01: highest 7.04 m on 2 November 2000 · 55 days above the normal rangeWinter 2001–02: highest 5.89 m · 35 days above the normal rangeWinter 2002–03: highest 4.20 m · 24 days above the normal rangeWinter 2003–04: highest 6.17 m on 6 February 2004 · 13 days above the normal rangeWinter 2004–05: highest 4.13 m · 11 days above the normal rangeWinter 2005–06: highest 4.99 m · 15 days above the normal rangeWinter 2006–07: highest 5.78 m · 59 days above the normal rangeWinter 2007–08: highest 6.05 m · 32 days above the normal rangeWinter 2008–09: highest 4.15 m · 10 days above the normal rangeWinter 2009–10: highest 4.99 m · 26 days above the normal rangeWinter 2010–11: highest 5.34 m · 10 days above the normal rangeWinter 2012–13: highest 5.32 m · 41 days above the normal rangeWinter 2015–16: highest 5.29 m · 52 days above the normal rangeWinter 2016–17: highest 3.51 m · 4 days above the normal rangeWinter 2017–18: highest 4.21 m · 24 days above the normal rangeWinter 2018–19: highest 5.03 m · 20 days above the normal rangeWinter 2019–20: highest 6.80 m on 26 February 2020 · 64 days above the normal rangeWinter 2020–21: highest 6.71 m on 23 January 2021 · 41 days above the normal rangeWinter 2021–22: highest 6.65 m on 22 February 2022 · 19 days above the normal rangeWinter 2022–23: highest 5.84 m · 27 days above the normal rangeWinter 2023–24: highest 6.35 m on 4 January 2024 · 62 days above the normal rangeWinter 2024–25: highest 5.52 m · 29 days above the normal rangeWinter 2025–26: highest 4.86 m · 41 days above the normal range’00–01’19–20’20–21Record 7.04 m, 2000Top of normal range
1990–912025–26
The highest days on record
  • 2 November 20007.04 m
  • 26 February 20206.80 m
  • 23 January 20216.71 m
  • 22 February 20226.65 m
  • 13 December 20006.56 m
  • 18 February 20206.52 m

The River Severn has topped its normal range on 992 days since 1990, most in the winters of 2019–20 and 2023–24. By its highest day, the winter of 2025–26 was the 25th-highest of the 33.

Environment Agency Hydrology API, Buildwas (station 2134), 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 Telford · 33 warnings in 20 years

The Environment Agency has 2 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 Telford (checked 7 November 2026, 15:17). Check for flooding on GOV.UK →
Warnings and alerts each year for areas in Telford
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 33 warnings, 25 were for River Severn at Ironbridge and Jackfield and 8 for River Severn at the Wharfage, Ironbridge. 2020 had the most warnings (5); 2007 the most alerts (46).

The most recent warning was on 16 November 2025.

Show the 5 warning and alert areas
AreaKindSince 2006Now
River Severn at Ironbridge and JackfieldWarning area25None
River Severn at the Wharfage, IronbridgeWarning area8None
Tern and Perry catchmentsAlert area167None
River Severn in ShropshireAlert area166None
River WorfeAlert area105None

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 Telford 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).

SJ6211: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSJ6212: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSJ6213: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSJ6310: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSJ6311: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSJ6312: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSJ6313: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSJ6314: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSJ6403: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSJ6404: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSJ6410: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSJ6411: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSJ6412: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSJ6413: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSJ6414: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSJ6503: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSJ6504: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSJ6510: Over 30% of homes above the action levelSJ6511: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSJ6512: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSJ6513: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSJ6603: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSJ6604: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSJ6605: Over 30% of homes above the action levelSJ6606: Over 30% of homes above the action levelSJ6607: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSJ6608: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSJ6609: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSJ6610: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSJ6611: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSJ6612: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSJ6613: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSJ6702: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSJ6703: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSJ6704: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSJ6705: Over 30% of homes above the action levelSJ6706: Over 30% of homes above the action levelSJ6707: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSJ6708: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSJ6709: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSJ6710: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSJ6711: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSJ6712: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSJ6713: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSJ6714: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSJ6802: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSJ6803: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSJ6804: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSJ6805: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSJ6806: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSJ6807: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSJ6808: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSJ6809: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSJ6810: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSJ6811: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSJ6812: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSJ6813: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSJ6814: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSJ6902: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSJ6903: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSJ6904: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSJ6905: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSJ6906: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSJ6907: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSJ6908: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSJ6909: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSJ6910: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSJ6911: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSJ6912: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSJ6913: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSJ6914: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSJ6915: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSJ7003: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSJ7004: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSJ7005: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSJ7006: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSJ7007: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSJ7008: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSJ7009: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSJ7010: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSJ7011: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSJ7012: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSJ7013: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSJ7014: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSJ7015: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSJ7103: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSJ7104: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSJ7105: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSJ7106: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSJ7107: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSJ7108: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSJ7109: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSJ7110: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSJ7111: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSJ7112: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSJ7113: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSJ7114: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSJ7208: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSJ7209: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSJ7210: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSJ7211: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSJ7213: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSJ7214: 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 homes32%
1–3% of homes28%
3–5% of homes9%
5–10% of homes18%
10–30% of homes11%
Over 30% of homes3%

68% of Telford’s built-up area is in a radon Affected Area (1% of homes or more above the action level), and 32% in squares of 5% or more, mostly on the south side of the city.

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 Telford

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

Shifnal: Hazard risk B−Broseley: Hazard risk BEdgmond: Hazard risk ANewport: Hazard risk BMuch Wenlock: Hazard risk DAlbrighton: Hazard risk BBridgnorth: Hazard risk C+ShifnalBroseleyEdgmondNewportMuch WenlockAlbrightonBridgnorthTelford
ABCD
TownPeopleHigh or mediumLowHazard
Telford156,8900.4%0.3%C+
Shifnal8,9730.3%0.6%B−
Broseley5,596under 0.1%0%B
Edgmond1,5600%0%A
Newport14,191under 0.1%0.1%B
Much Wenlock1,7665.6%0.7%D
Albrighton6,983under 0.1%under 0.1%B
Bridgnorth12,1720.7%0.8%C+

Much Wenlock, 7.2 miles south-west, has the most homes at risk around Telford (5.6% at high or medium). Edgmond has none.

Be ready

Get ready for what Telford 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.
  • Telford’s warning areas include River Severn at Ironbridge and Jackfield and River Severn at the Wharfage, Ironbridge.
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 Telford
  • 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 Telford

Does Telford flood?

The last flood the Environment Agency recorded inside the city was in February 2004. 0.4% 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 4.9% of homes are at high or medium risk from surface water, when heavy rain overwhelms the drains. Telford grades C+ for hazard risk against UK towns.

Which parts of Telford are at risk of flooding?

From rivers and the sea, the places the Environment Agency warns directly: River Severn at Ironbridge and Jackfield and River Severn at the Wharfage, Ironbridge. 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 Telford last flood?

The recorded flood outlines inside the city run from 1948 to 2004 (5 years); the largest was in 1960. Flood warnings have been issued for parts of the city since 2006, most recently on 16 November 2025.

Is Telford at risk of surface water flooding?

About 2.4% of homes are at high risk and 2.5% at medium risk from surface water, against 0.4% 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 Telford?

68% of the city’s built-up area is in a radon Affected Area on the BGS/UKHSA atlas, and 32% 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 Telford now?

No flood warning or alert was in force near Telford at 7 November 2026, 15:17. 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.