Central Bedfordshire Flood Risk
In Central Bedfordshire, 1,251 of 159,342 properties (0.8%) 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 ranks 151st of 296 local authorities in England by number.
By bandProperties in Central Bedfordshire 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 | 662 | 413 |
| Medium | between 1% and 3.3% (1 in 100 to 1 in 30) chance in any year | 589 | 445 |
| Low | between 0.1% and 1% (1 in 1,000 to 1 in 100) chance in any year | 2,128 | 1,761 |
| Very low | less than 0.1% (1 in 1,000) chance in any year | 245 | 197 |
858 of the high- or medium-risk properties are homes and 175 are non-residential. 219 postcodes in Central Bedfordshire have at least one property at high or medium risk.
Postcode districtsFlood risk across Central Bedfordshire
Counts are for the part of each district inside Central Bedfordshire.
| District | Properties | High + medium | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LU7 | 25,567 | 305 | 161 | 1.2% |
| SG18 | 16,336 | 254 | 120 | 1.6% |
| SG19 | 11,143 | 211 | 165 | 1.9% |
| MK45 | 24,347 | 114 | 43 | 0.5% |
| LU5 | 22,767 | 80 | 31 | 0.4% |
| SG5 | 7,590 | 71 | 17 | 0.9% |
| SG16 | 3,955 | 49 | 25 | 1.2% |
| MK44 | 1,007 | 40 | 40 | 4.0% |
| SG15 | 3,146 | 36 | 6 | 1.1% |
| SG17 | 7,998 | 33 | 23 | 0.4% |
| MK17 | 3,769 | 21 | 16 | 0.6% |
| LU6 | 17,370 | 18 | 8 | 0.1% |
| MK43 | 9,363 | 11 | 5 | 0.1% |
| LU1 | 3,782 | 7 | 1 | 0.2% |
| LU2 | 268 | 1 | 1 | 0.4% |
| LU3 | 537 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
| LU4 | 397 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
Recorded floodsPast floods mapped in Central Bedfordshire
The Environment Agency has mapped flood outlines on 12 dates in postcode districts that mostly lie in Central Bedfordshire since 1947; the most recent started on 1 Jan 2003.
1940s 3 1950s 1 1980s 3 1990s 4 2000s 1
| Started | Place / name in the record | Source of flooding | Cause | Districts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jan 2003 – 31 Dec 2003 | — 67 outlines | Not recorded | Not recorded | SG17 SG19 |
| 1 Jan 1998 – 31 Dec 1998 | — 5 outlines | Not recorded | Not recorded | LU7 SG19 |
| 1 Jan 1993 – 31 Dec 1993 | — 22 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | LU7 SG15 SG16 SG17 SG18 SG19 |
| 22 Sep 1992 – 24 Sep 1992 | — | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | LU7 |
| 1 Jan 1992 – 31 Dec 1992 | — 27 outlines | Not recorded | Not recorded | LU7 SG17 |
| 1 Jan 1988 – 31 Dec 1988 | — | Not recorded | Not recorded | SG16 |
| 1 Jan 1987 – 31 Dec 1987 | — 19 outlines | Not recorded | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | MK45 SG16 SG17 SG18 SG19 |
| 1 Jan 1980 – 31 Dec 1980 | — | Not recorded | Not recorded | LU7 |
| 1 Jan 1950 – 31 Dec 1950 | — | Not recorded | Not recorded | LU7 |
| 14 Mar 1947 – 17 Mar 1947 | — 6 outlines | Main river | Overtopping of defences | SG18 SG19 |
| 13 Mar 1947 – 18 Mar 1947 | — 5 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | SG15 SG17 |
| 1 Jan 1947 – 31 Dec 1947 | — 7 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | LU5 LU7 SG19 |
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.
"Central Bedfordshire" means the local authority area (ONS code E06000056), not only the town centre.
If you live in Central Bedfordshire
- Check your own address on gov.uk; it also covers surface water.
- Sign up for free flood warnings: gov.uk/get-flood-warnings. Floodline: 0345 988 1188.
- What is in force now: flood warnings UK · river levels.
- Never walk or drive through flood water: why shallow water kills.
FAQQuestions people ask
Is Central Bedfordshire at risk of flooding?
In Central Bedfordshire, 1,251 of 159,342 properties (0.8%) 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 ranks 151st of 296 local authorities in England by number.
Which parts of Central Bedfordshire have the most properties at flood risk?
Postcode district LU7 has the most: 305 properties at high or medium risk (1.2% of its properties in Central Bedfordshire). The table on this page lists every district.
When did Central Bedfordshire last flood?
The Environment Agency has mapped flood outlines on 12 dates in postcode districts that mostly lie in Central Bedfordshire since 1947; the most recent started on 1 Jan 2003.
Does this include surface water flooding?
No. These counts cover flooding from rivers and the sea only. Surface water (heavy rain) flooding affects more properties in England; check it for one address on gov.uk's long-term flood risk service.
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.