Is Dorset at risk of flooding?

Dorset has 97 designated flood areas monitored by the Environment Agency, giving it a High risk rating. It ranks #18 out of 152 English counties for flood risk.

How many flood warning areas are in Dorset?

There are 97 flood warning and alert areas in Dorset, monitored by 0 Environment Agency stations across 25 rivers.

Which rivers flood in Dorset?

The main rivers in Dorset include Dorset Frome, English Channel, Frome, Hooke, Sydling Water, Cerne, Groundwater, Mangerton River and 20 others. These rivers have monitoring stations tracking water levels in real time.

Do I need flood insurance in Dorset?

If your property is in or near one of Dorset's 97 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 Dorset's flood areas on this page.

What was the worst flood in Dorset?

Dorset 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 Dorset

South West

Flood Areas

Stations

Rivers

Risk Level

High

#18 of 152 counties

Flood Areas in Dorset

97 designated flood warning and alert areas

Name	River / Sea	Type
Bridge Close in Gillingham	River Stour, River Lodden	Warning
Properties on West Bridge, West Street, Tannery Road and St Michaels Lane in Bridport	River Brit	Warning
Dolphins River Park	River Char	Warning
Areas in Dorchester, West Stafford, Bockhampton, Lewell, Tincleton, Pallington, Waddock, Moreton, Wool and East Stoke	Dorset Frome	Warning
Tributaries between Dorchester and Wareham	River Frome	Alert
Tributaries between Toller Whelme and Dorchester	Frome, Hooke, Sydling Water, Cerne	Alert
English Channel flood area near Dorset	English Channel	Warning
Weymouth Harbour and the tidal stretch of the River Wey	English Channel	Alert
River Stour flood area near Dorset	River Stour	Warning
Tributaries between Sturminster Newton and Wimborne	River Stour, River Lodden	Alert
River Stour flood area near Dorset	River Stour	Warning
River Stour flood area near Dorset	River Stour	Warning
Chesil Bank and The Fleet Nature Reserve and Ferry Bridge Marine Services, Portland Beach Road	Portland Harbour	Warning
Castletown, Weymouth, Preston Beach, Swanage Bay, Studland Bay, Sandbanks, Poole Harbour, Bournemouth Beach, Hengistbury Head and Christchurch Harbour	English Channel	Alert
River Brit flood area near Dorset	River Brit	Warning
Poole Harbour and tidal stretches of the Lower Frome and River Piddle	English Channel	Alert
The Corfe Castle and Swanage areas	Swan Brook, Corfe Stream	Alert
Groundwater flooding for Hilton, Milton Abbas and Milborne St Andrew	Groundwater	Warning
Bridport, Chideock, Martinstown, Milborne St. Andrew, Nottington, Piddlehinton, Piddletrenthide, Upwey, Winterborne Abbas, Winterborne Kingston, Wi...	Groundwater	Alert
Alton Pancras, Piddletrenthide, Piddlehinton, Druce, Puddletown, Athelhampton, Affpuddle, Briantspuddle, Throop and Wareham including Purbeck View ...	River Piddle	Warning
Tributaries between Alton Pancras and Wareham	River Piddle, River Trent	Alert
Parley, Corfe Mullen, Hampreston, Ferndown, Throop, Hurn, Bournemouth and Christchurch	River Stour	Warning
Groundwater flooding on the Winterborne South of the A354 including Winterborne Whitechurch, Kingston, Muston, Anderson, Tomson, Zelston, Mapperton...	Groundwater	Warning
English Channel flood area near Dorset	English Channel	Warning
The River Wey to Radipole Lake, Preston Brook and River Jordan	Wey, Jordan, Pucksey Brook	Warning
Milton Mill and West Milton	Mangerton River	Warning
West Bay Road, Meadowlands, Buttercup Way and Bramble Drive in Bothenhampton	River Brit	Warning
CW Groves and Sons Nursery and the Skilling Playing fields and Football pitch in Bridport	River Brit	Warning
Groundwater flooding for Chettle, Long Crichel and Moor Crichel	Groundwater	Warning
The Esplanade in Weymouth	English Channel	Warning
Groundwater flooding for Minterne Magna, Minton Parva, Cerne Abbas, Nether Cerne, Godmanston, Forston and Charminster	Groundwater	Warning
Bay Road and parts of Bay Fields in Gillingham	Shreen Water	Warning
River Asker flood area near Dorset	River Asker	Warning
Lyme Regis, Charmouth, Seatown, West Bay, Bothenhampton, Burton Freshwater, Burton Bradstock, Cogden Beach, Chesil Beach, West Fleet, East Fleet an...	English Channel	Alert
English Channel flood area near Dorset	English Channel	Warning
Tributaries between Wimborne St Giles and Wimborne	River Allen	Alert
High Street, Mill Street, Manor Farm and The Rookery in Burton Bradstock	River Bride	Warning
Suttil Crescent, Threadmill Lane, Pymore Mills and Pymore Island	River Brit	Warning
Properties in Southgate and Newtown in Beaminster	River Brit	Warning
English Channel flood area near Dorset	English Channel	Warning
West Bay Harbour and the tidal stretch of the River Brit	English Channel	Alert
Areas in East Stoke, Holmebridge, Stoborough, Stoborough Green, Wareham, Redcliffe, Ridge and Swineham	Dorset Frome	Warning
Groundwater flooding for Stubhampton and the Tarrants	Groundwater	Warning
Groundwater flooding for Tollard Royal, Farnham, Michington, Cashmoor, Gussage St Michael and Gussage All Saints	Groundwater	Warning
River Brit flood area near Dorset	River Brit	Warning
Knobcrook Road, Mill Lane and East Street in Wimborne	River Allen, River Stour	Warning
The Street in Charmouth including Catherston Cottages, Robyns Nest, Neighbridge Cottage and Kingfishers	River Char	Warning
River Wey flood area near Dorset	River Wey	Warning
Groundwater flooding for Toller Whelme, Hooke, Higher Kingcombe, Lower Kingcombe and Toller Porcorum	Groundwater	Warning
Roman Way and other Farm and Cottages in Cowgrove	River Stour	Warning
River Stour flood area near Dorset	River Stour	Warning
River Wriggle flood area near Dorset	River Wriggle	Warning
Properties in Askerswell, Uploders, Yondover and Loders	River Asker	Warning
Portland Harbour flood area near Dorset	Portland Harbour	Warning
Hammoon, Bere Marsh, Stourpaine, Durweston and Lower Blandford St Mary	River Stour	Warning
Riverside, and George Street, West Bay	River Brit	Warning
Swan Brook flood area near Dorset	Swan Brook	Warning
Redhill and Wheatplot Home Sites	River Stour	Warning
Areas in Higher Frome Vauchurch, Frome Vauchurch, Cruxton, Notton, Frampton, Grimstone, Muckleford, Stratton, Bradford Peverell, Wrackleford, Charm...	Dorset Frome	Warning
Groundwater flooding for the Pimperne Brook at Pimperne	Groundwater	Warning
Areas of Lyme Regis around the Harbour	English Channel	Warning
English Channel flood area near Dorset	English Channel	Warning
English Channel flood area near Dorset	English Channel	Warning
Groundwater flooding for the Devils Brook including Ansty, Cheselbourne and Dewlish	Groundwater	Warning
Wareham Quay, Ridge, Redcliffe and Swineham areas	English Channel	Warning
Groundwater flooding for Sutton Waldron, Iwerne Minster, Iwerne Courntey, Shroton and Stourpaine	Groundwater	Warning
North Mills Trading Estate, St Michaels Lane, St Michaels Trading Estate and Dreadnought Trading Estate in Bridport	River Brit	Warning
Bridge Street and Crook Hill in Netherbury	River Brit	Warning
Groundwater flooding for Kingston Russell, Winterbourne Abbas, Winterbourne Steepleton, Martinstown or Winterbourne St Martin, Winterbourne Monkton...	Groundwater	Warning
English Channel flood area near Dorset	English Channel	Warning
West Street in Shapwick	River Stour	Warning
River Stour flood area near Dorset	River Stour	Warning
Hogshill Street, Prout Hill and Fleet Street in Beaminster	River Brit	Warning
River Stour flood area near Dorset	River Stour	Warning
The Sea Life Centre and the Preston Beach Road area of Lodmoor	English Channel	Warning
Groundwater flooding for Turnworth, Winterborne Stickland, Winterborne Houghton, Clenston, Whatcombe and Whitechurch	Groundwater	Warning
The Gurka Bar on Lakeside Walk, Nothe Parade and Hope Street in Weymouth	English Channel	Warning
Groundwater flooding for Up Sydling and Sydling St Nicholas	Groundwater	Warning
South Street, Skilling Hill Road, West Bay Road and Flood Lane in Bridport	River Brit, River Asker	Warning
River Allen flood area near Dorset	River Allen	Warning
Canford School	River Stour	Warning
Groundwater flooding for Alton Pancras, Piddletrentide, White Lackington, Piddlehinton, Puddletown, Athelhampton	Groundwater	Warning
East Road, Meville Square and Folly Mill Lane in Bridport	River Asker	Warning
Lodbourne, Bay Bridge and Colesbrook	Shreen Water	Warning
Havelins and the SPFA sports pavilion areas in Stourpaine	River Stour	Warning
North Chideock, Fairfax and Main Street Chideock	River Winniford	Warning
River Brit flood area near Dorset	River Brit	Warning
Bridelands and Lower Farm in Long Bredy, Bride Valley Nursery in Litton Cheney and Water Lane Fish Farm in Swyre	River Bride	Warning
Properties in Queenwell and Pymore Island	River Brit	Warning
Dorset Frome flood area near Dorset	Dorset Frome	Warning
Dorchester Road and Frome Lane area of Maiden Newton	Dorset Frome	Warning
Groundwater flooding for Bere Regis	Groundwater	Warning
Groundwater flooding for Sixpenny Handley	Groundwater	Warning
Groundwater flooding in Monkton Up Wimborne and Wimborne St Giles	Groundwater	Warning
Groundwater flooding in the Lower Allen Vale including New Town, Witchampton	Groundwater	Warning
River Wriggle flood area near Dorset	River Wriggle	Warning
English Channel flood area near Dorset	English Channel	Warning

Monitoring Stations

0 Environment Agency monitoring stations

Rivers in Dorset

Dorset FromeEnglish ChannelFrome, Hooke, Sydling Water, CerneGroundwaterMangerton RiverPortland HarbourRiver AllenRiver Allen, River StourRiver AskerRiver BrideRiver BritRiver Brit, River AskerRiver CharRiver FromeRiver PiddleRiver Piddle, River TrentRiver StourRiver Stour, River LoddenRiver WeyRiver WinnifordRiver WriggleShreen WaterSwan BrookSwan Brook, Corfe StreamWey, Jordan, Pucksey Brook

Flood Insurance Warning for Dorset

Dorset has 97 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 →