PL7 Flood Risk
In postcode district PL7 (Plymouth and South Hams), 486 of 16,068 properties (3.0%) 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 368th highest count of 2,181 districts in England.
By bandProperties in PL7 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 | 331 | 183 |
| Medium | between 1% and 3.3% (1 in 100 to 1 in 30) chance in any year | 155 | 97 |
| Low | between 0.1% and 1% (1 in 1,000 to 1 in 100) chance in any year | 316 | 220 |
| Very low | less than 0.1% (1 in 1,000) chance in any year | 32 | 20 |
280 of the high- or medium-risk properties are homes and 144 are non-residential (shops, offices, farms, public buildings); the rest are unclassified. By share, PL7 ranks 434th of 2,084 districts with at least 500 properties.
Postcode sectorsWhere in PL7 the risk sits
| Sector | Properties | High | Medium | Low | Very low | High + medium share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PL7 1 | 4,313 | 116 | 73 | 122 | 30 | 4.4% |
| PL7 2 | 5,001 | 53 | 25 | 40 | 1 | 1.6% |
| PL7 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
| PL7 4 | 4,498 | 130 | 44 | 137 | 1 | 3.9% |
| PL7 5 | 2,255 | 32 | 13 | 17 | 0 | 2.0% |
Recorded floodsPast floods mapped near PL7
The Environment Agency has mapped flood outlines on 20 dates near PL7 since 1900; the most recent started on 9 Dec 2025.
| Started | Place / name in the record | Source of flooding | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Dec 2025 | Plymouth | Drainage | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) |
| 28 Aug 2025 – 29 Aug 2025 | Longbrook, Plymouth | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) |
| 2 Nov 2023 | Plympton | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) |
| 15 Nov 2022 | River Plym and Meavy | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) |
| 4 Jul 2021 | Plympton 2 outlines | Other, main river | Local drainage/surface water |
| 1 Jul 2021 | Plympton | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) |
| 14 Aug 2020 | Plympton | Main river | Overtopping of defences |
| 3 Feb 2014 | Plympton | Sea | Other |
| 22 Dec 2012 | Plympton Stoggy Lane 5 outlines | Ordinary watercourse, main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) |
| 24 Nov 2012 | Plymouth Newham 2 outlines | Ordinary watercourse, other | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) |
| 21 Nov 2012 | Plymtpon Longbrook St. | Other | Local drainage/surface water |
| 17 Oct 2012 | Plympton | Sea | Other |
| 9 Feb 2009 – 10 Feb 2009 | Plymbridge | Ordinary watercourse | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) |
| 12 Aug 2004 | Plympton | Drainage | Local drainage/surface water |
| 5 Nov 2000 | Plympton | Main river | Not recorded |
| 4 Nov 1996 | Plympton | Main river | Obstruction/blockage - channel |
| 30 Dec 1993 | Hemerdon | Drainage | Local drainage/surface water |
| 1 Sep 1988 | Plympton | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) |
| 1 Jan 1944 | Plympton | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| 1 Jan 1900 | Plympton | Not recorded | Not recorded |
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 PL7
- Plymouth — 14,086 properties, 469 at high or medium risk
- South Hams — 1,980 properties, 16 at high or medium risk
Parishes in PL7: Bickleigh, Brixton, Meavy, Shaugh Prior, Sparkwell, Yealmpton.
If you live in PL7
- 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 PL7 at risk of flooding?
In postcode district PL7 (Plymouth and South Hams), 486 of 16,068 properties (3.0%) 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 368th highest count of 2,181 districts in England.
How many homes in PL7 are at high risk of flooding?
183 homes (residential properties) in PL7 are in areas at high risk (3.3% or greater chance each year) and 97 at medium risk, out of 13,784 homes, per Environment Agency data updated 6 July 2026. This counts rivers and the sea only, not surface water.
Has PL7 flooded before?
The Environment Agency has mapped flood outlines on 20 dates near PL7 since 1900; the most recent started on 9 Dec 2025.
How do I check the flood risk for my own address in PL7?
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.