Is County Durham at risk of flooding?

County Durham has 66 designated flood areas monitored by the Environment Agency, giving it a High risk rating. It ranks #32 out of 152 English counties for flood risk.

How many flood warning areas are in County Durham?

There are 66 flood warning and alert areas in County Durham, monitored by 0 Environment Agency stations across 29 rivers.

Do I need flood insurance in County Durham?

If your property is in or near one of County Durham's 66 flood areas, flood insurance is strongly recommended. The government's Flood Re scheme helps make flood insurance affordable for at-risk properties.

How can I check flood risk for my postcode?

Use the Environment Agency's flood risk checker or our postcode lookup tool to check the flood risk for your specific address. You can also browse County Durham's flood areas on this page.

What was the worst flood in County Durham?

County Durham has experienced significant flooding events over the years. Check the Environment Agency's historical flood data and our UK Flood History guide for details on major events.

Flood Risk in County Durham

Q: Which rivers flood in County Durham?

The main rivers in County Durham include Bristol River Avon, Bristol River Avon, River Boyd, By Brook, Brislington Brook, Buck Beck, Butts Drain, Barrow Beck, East Halton Beck, Stallingborough North, Old Fleet Drain, Buck Beck, Congresbury Yeo, Cheddar Yeo, River Axe, River Banwell and 24 others. These rivers have monitoring stations tracking water levels in real time.

North East

Flood Areas

Stations

Rivers

Risk Level

High

#32 of 152 counties

Flood Areas in County Durham

66 designated flood warning and alert areas

Name	River / Sea	Type
Tidal flooding of areas near the Lincolnshire coastline from Tetney Haven to Gibraltar Point	North Sea	Alert
Oakley Cross Beck flood area near County Durham	Oakley Cross Beck	Warning
River Gaunless and its tributaries	River Gaunless, Oakley Cross Beck	Alert
River Frome and Mells, and the Whatley and Nunney Brooks and tributaries	Somerset Frome, River Mells, Whatley Brook, Nunney Brook	Alert
Brigsley including Waithe Lane	Waithe Beck	Warning
Louth Canal from Louth to Tetney Lock, the Waithe Beck from Binbrook to Tetney Lock and their tributaries, including the River Lud in Louth. Tribut...	River Lud, Louth Canal, Waithe Beck	Alert
Lower River Avon, River Boyd, By and Brislington Brooks and tributaries	Bristol River Avon, River Boyd, By Brook, Brislington Brook	Alert
Wellow Brook including Thicketmead Bridge in Midsomer Norton and Mill Road in Radstock. Coomb End Culvert including Coombend and Market Place. The ...	Wellow Brook, River Somer	Warning
River Cam, Wellow and Midford Brooks and tributaries	River Cam, Wellow Brook, Midford Brook	Alert
Tidal flooding near the South Humber Bank from Barton Upon Humber to Humberston	The Humber, North Sea	Alert
Far extent of Tidal flooding on the South Humber Bank from Whitton to Humberston	The Humber, North Sea	Alert
Properties and low lying land around Southburn Close, Longacre, Aireys Close and Hutton Close	Moors Burn	Warning
Lower River Wear from Escomb to Sunderland including the Rivers Browney, Cong Burn and Lumley Park Burn	River Wear, Moors Burn, Smallhope Burn	Alert
Rivers in North Somerset including Congresbury Yeo, Cheddar Yeo, Axe and tributaries	Congresbury Yeo, Cheddar Yeo, River Axe, River Banwell	Alert
Wider area at risk of tidal flooding in Cleethorpes and parts of Humberston	The Humber, North Sea	Warning
Properties and low lying areas around the Old Bridge House and the Honest Lawyer Hotel	River Wear	Warning
River Wear flood area near County Durham	River Wear	Warning
River Chew, Chew Stoke Stream flood area near County Durham	River Chew, Chew Stoke Stream	Warning
River Chew from Chew Stoke to Keynsham, Chew Stoke Stream and Winford Brook	River Chew, Chew Stoke Stream, Winford Brook	Alert
Properties and low lying areas around Lowgarth Farm, North Lodge, West Lodge and Durham Wildlife Trust	River Wear	Warning
Upper River Wear from source to Witton Park	River Wear	Alert
Smallhope Burn flood area near County Durham	Smallhope Burn	Warning
Low lying areas along the River Skerne and its tributaries from its source downstream to the Tees Confluence, including the Carr areas	River Skerne	Alert
Wider area at risk of tidal flooding in the East Marsh, Holme Hill and Wellow areas of Central Grimsby	The Humber, North Sea	Warning
Wybers Wood and Willows Estate areas of Grimsby including St Nicholas Drive, Grasby Crescent and Anderby Drive	New Cut Drain	Warning
Butts Drain, Barrow Beck, East Halton Beck, the River Freshney, Stallingborough North, Old Fleet Drain and Buck Beck	Butts Drain, Barrow Beck, East Halton Beck, Stallingborough North, Old Fleet Drain, Buck Beck	Alert
North Sea from St Mary's Lighthouse to Crimdon Park, North Hartlepool	North Sea	Alert
Wear estuary from Lamb Bridge at Chester-le-street to the North Sea coast	River Wear	Alert
Properties and low lying areas around the Batts, Bishop Auckland	River Wear	Warning
River Gaunless flood area near County Durham	River Gaunless	Warning
River Wear flood area near County Durham	River Wear	Warning
Wider area at risk from the New Cut Drain in the Wybers Wood and Willows Estate areas of Grimsby and the South Humberside Industrial Estate	New Cut Drain	Warning
Properties at Well Bank, Monks End, Mill House, and the field to the back of Millfields	River Tees	Warning
Immingham to Pyewipe including North Moss Lane Industrial Estate, South Marsh Road, Hobson Way and Europarc	The Humber	Warning
River Wear flood area near County Durham	River Wear	Warning
Tidal flooding in The Willows and Great Coates areas of Grimsby, including South Humberside Industrial Estate	The Humber	Warning
Wellow Brook, River Somer flood area near County Durham	Wellow Brook, River Somer	Warning
River Wear flood area near County Durham	River Wear	Warning
Hatcliffe including Main Road	Waithe Beck	Warning
Mid River Avon and tributaries including Melksham and Bradford on Avon	Bristol River Avon	Alert
River Wear flood area near County Durham	River Wear	Warning
River Wear flood area near County Durham	River Wear	Warning
Properties and low lying areas around The Nursery, Station Road and Front Street	River Gaunless	Warning
Wider area at risk of tidal flooding in the Weelsby, Old Clee, Grant Thorold and Sidney Park areas of Grimsby and Cleethorpes	The Humber, North Sea	Warning
Tidal flooding of low-lying areas in Grimsby and Pyewipe	The Humber	Warning
Cleethorpes frontage from Harrington Street to Humberston Fitties	The Humber, North Sea	Warning
Properties and low lying areas around Page Bank Post Office, Stanners Farm and Park Hill Lodge	River Wear	Warning
Properties on Ash Green Way, Main Street and St Andrews Road and streets adjacent to them	River Gaunless	Warning
Properties along Durham Riverside including Houghall, Elvet Bridge, High Street and the access road below The Gates Shopping Centre	River Wear	Warning
North Sea flood area near County Durham	North Sea	Warning
Humberston frontage from 4th Avenue to 12th Avenue	The Humber, North Sea	Warning
Isolated properties near to East Halton and Skitter Beck from East Halton to Keelby	East Halton Beck, Skitter Beck	Warning
Area at risk from the furthest extent of tidal flooding from South Killingholme to Grimsby, including parts of Stallingborough and Healing	The Humber	Warning
Properties and low lying areas around The Mill and Haggerleazes Farm	River Gaunless	Warning
Wider area at risk of tidal flooding in the Littlefield, Yarborough and Little Coates areas of Grimsby	The Humber, North Sea	Warning
Properties and land around Old Elvet, Orchard House, Sylvan House and Keiper Farm	River Wear	Warning
Tidal flooding at Immingham Dock	The Humber	Warning
River Wear flood area near County Durham	River Wear	Warning
Properties in low lying areas around Broadwood Lodge, Broadwood Plant, The Batts and The Old Vicarage on Church Lane	River Wear	Warning
Bristol River Avon flood area near County Durham	Bristol River Avon	Warning
Spring Gardens to Freshford including Oldford, Lullington Weir, Beckington Mill, Eden Vale Farm, Shawford, Rode, Stowford Mill, Farleigh Hungerford...	Somerset Frome	Warning
Bristol Avon from Challymead Bridge to Bathford Bridge not including Bradford on Avon. Including Whaddon, Staverton, Avoncliff, Limpley Stoke and C...	Bristol River Avon	Warning
Cam Brook including Temple Bridge, Hallatrow and Camerton. Wellow Brook from Lower Writhlington to Midford including Wellow and the Midford Brook i...	Midford Brook, Cam Brook, Wellow Brook	Warning
Areas at risk near Buck Beck including Kings Road, Gayton Road, Thorganby Road and Wilton Road	Buck Beck	Warning
Areas near Stallingborough North Beck and Oldfleet Drain including Stallingborough and Healing	Stallingborough North Beck, Old Fleet Drain	Warning
River Tees flood area near County Durham	River Tees	Warning

Monitoring Stations

0 Environment Agency monitoring stations

Rivers in County Durham

Bristol River AvonBristol River Avon, River Boyd, By Brook, Brislington BrookBuck BeckButts Drain, Barrow Beck, East Halton Beck, Stallingborough North, Old Fleet Drain, Buck BeckCongresbury Yeo, Cheddar Yeo, River Axe, River BanwellEast Halton Beck, Skitter BeckMidford Brook, Cam Brook, Wellow BrookMoors BurnNew Cut DrainNorth SeaOakley Cross BeckRiver Cam, Wellow Brook, Midford BrookRiver Chew, Chew Stoke StreamRiver Chew, Chew Stoke Stream, Winford BrookRiver GaunlessRiver Gaunless, Oakley Cross BeckRiver Lud, Louth Canal, Waithe BeckRiver SkerneRiver TeesRiver WearRiver Wear, Moors Burn, Smallhope BurnSmallhope BurnSomerset FromeSomerset Frome, River Mells, Whatley Brook, Nunney BrookStallingborough North Beck, Old Fleet DrainThe HumberThe Humber, North SeaWaithe BeckWellow Brook, River Somer

Flood Insurance Warning for County Durham

County Durham has 66 designated flood areas and a high flood risk rating. If you live in this area, check your buildings and contents insurance covers flood damage. Homes in high-risk areas may face higher premiums or require specialist cover.

Flood Insurance Guide →Planning & Flood Risk →