BH23 Flood Risk
In postcode district BH23 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and New Forest), 713 of 31,532 properties (2.3%) are in areas at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers and the sea — at least a 1 in 100 chance in any year — per Environment Agency data updated 6 July 2026; that is the 248th highest count of 2,181 districts in England.
By bandProperties in BH23 by flood-risk band
| Risk band | Chance of flooding each year | All properties | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| High | 3.3% (1 in 30) or greater chance in any year | 462 | 297 |
| Medium | between 1% and 3.3% (1 in 100 to 1 in 30) chance in any year | 251 | 204 |
| Low | between 0.1% and 1% (1 in 1,000 to 1 in 100) chance in any year | 3,227 | 2,647 |
| Very low | less than 0.1% (1 in 1,000) chance in any year | 353 | 324 |
501 of the high- or medium-risk properties are homes and 147 are non-residential (shops, offices, farms, public buildings); the rest are unclassified. By share, BH23 ranks 573rd of 2,084 districts with at least 500 properties.
Postcode sectorsWhere in BH23 the risk sits
| Sector | Properties | High | Medium | Low | Very low | High + medium share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BH23 1 | 4,009 | 141 | 49 | 1,123 | 342 | 4.7% |
| BH23 2 | 5,929 | 58 | 10 | 1,282 | 0 | 1.1% |
| BH23 3 | 5,124 | 10 | 7 | 340 | 0 | 0.3% |
| BH23 4 | 5,642 | 77 | 37 | 59 | 7 | 2.0% |
| BH23 5 | 4,544 | 1 | 17 | 9 | 0 | 0.4% |
| BH23 6 | 1,253 | 62 | 38 | 218 | 0 | 8.0% |
| BH23 7 | 2,571 | 84 | 74 | 135 | 1 | 6.1% |
| BH23 8 | 2,458 | 28 | 19 | 60 | 3 | 1.9% |
| BH23 9 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 50.0% |
Recorded floodsPast floods mapped near BH23
The Environment Agency has mapped flood outlines on 18 dates near BH23 since 1959; the most recent started on 14 Feb 2014.
| Started | Place / name in the record | Source of flooding | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Feb 2014 – 17 Mar 2014 | Christchurch to 12 outlines | Sea, main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) |
| 8 Feb 2014 | This represents flooding in the area in | Main river | Not recorded |
| 17 Jan 2014 | Burton to 2 outlines | Main river, ordinary watercourse | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) |
| 6 Jan 2014 | Burton, Christchurch to | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) |
| 21 Dec 2012 | This represents flooding in the area in | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| 20 Dec 2012 | This represents flooding in the area in | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| 1 Jan 2012 | This represents flooding in the area in | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| 29 Dec 2003 | This represents flooding in the area in | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) |
| 1 Jan 2001 | This represents flooding in the area in | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) |
| 13 Dec 2000 | This represents flooding in the area in | Not recorded | Other |
| 28 Feb 1995 | This represents flooding in the area in | Main river | Not recorded |
| 1 Feb 1990 | This represents flooding in the area in | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) |
| 22 Dec 1989 – 24 Dec 1989 | Stour Corfe Mullen to Christchurch 3 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) |
| 17 Mar 1982 – 19 Mar 1982 | Avon 23 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) |
| 27 Dec 1979 – 28 Dec 1979 | Stour 2 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) |
| 1 Mar 1979 | This represents flooding in the area in 3 outlines | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| 24 Jan 1959 | This represents flooding in the area in | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| 23 Jan 1959 – 24 Jan 1959 | Avon & Frome 9 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) |
What this page shows, and what it misses
The Environment Agency's count of properties in each postcode that sit in areas of land at very low, low, medium or high risk of flooding from rivers and the sea, allowing for flood defences and their condition, added up here by postcode district and local authority. Every property in England is counted once, so the share is of all properties in the area.
It misses: surface water (heavy rain), groundwater, sewer and reservoir flooding; Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland; and anything about a single building. A band describes the land a property stands on, not its floor level or flood protection, so it is not a forecast for any one home. Past floods come from the EA's Recorded Flood Outlines and are placed in the postcode district whose centre is nearest (within 12 km), so a flood near a boundary can be listed under a neighbour. Older records are patchy, and a flood with no outline is not listed.
Local authorities in BH23
- Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole — 28,498 properties, 652 at high or medium risk
- New Forest — 3,032 properties, 60 at high or medium risk
Parishes in BH23: Bransgore, Burley, Burton and Winkton, Christchurch, Highcliffe and Walkford, Hurn, New Milton, Sopley, St. Leonards and St. Ives.
If you live in BH23
- Check your own address on gov.uk; it also covers surface water.
- Sign up for free flood warnings by phone, text or email: gov.uk/get-flood-warnings.
- See what is in force now on flood warnings UK, and river levels. Floodline: 0345 988 1188.
- Never walk or drive through flood water: why shallow water kills.
Nearby districts
FAQQuestions people ask
Is BH23 at risk of flooding?
In postcode district BH23 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and New Forest), 713 of 31,532 properties (2.3%) are in areas at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers and the sea — at least a 1 in 100 chance in any year — per Environment Agency data updated 6 July 2026; that is the 248th highest count of 2,181 districts in England.
How many homes in BH23 are at high risk of flooding?
297 homes (residential properties) in BH23 are in areas at high risk (3.3% or greater chance each year) and 204 at medium risk, out of 27,142 homes, per Environment Agency data updated 6 July 2026. This counts rivers and the sea only, not surface water.
Has BH23 flooded before?
The Environment Agency has mapped flood outlines on 18 dates near BH23 since 1959; the most recent started on 14 Feb 2014.
How do I check the flood risk for my own address in BH23?
Use the government's long-term flood risk checker (check-long-term-flood-risk.service.gov.uk): it shows rivers and the sea, surface water, reservoirs and groundwater for one address. District figures here are totals and cannot tell you about a single home.
Flood risk counts: Environment Agency, Risk of Flooding from Rivers and Sea – Postcodes in Areas at Risk and Recorded Flood Outlines, used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. © Environment Agency copyright and/or database right 2025. All rights reserved. Some features of this information are based on digital spatial data from the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, © NERC (CEH). © Crown Copyright and Database Rights 2025 OS AC0000807064. This product is produced in part from PAF® and Multiple Residence Data, the copyright in which is owned by Royal Mail Group Limited and/or Royal Mail Group plc. All rights reserved. Licence number AC0000807064.
Local authority of each postcode: Office for National Statistics postcode lookup (May 2026), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right 2026. District centres and place names: postcodes.io (ONS/OS open data). Totals, ranks and grouping are Global Incident Tracker's own calculations; the Environment Agency does not endorse them.