Epping Forest Flood Risk
In Epping Forest, 1,284 of 73,069 properties (1.8%) 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 146th of 296 local authorities in England by number.
By bandProperties in Epping Forest 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 | 755 | 474 |
| Medium | between 1% and 3.3% (1 in 100 to 1 in 30) chance in any year | 529 | 306 |
| Low | between 0.1% and 1% (1 in 1,000 to 1 in 100) chance in any year | 1,961 | 1,169 |
| Very low | less than 0.1% (1 in 1,000) chance in any year | 1,748 | 1,402 |
780 of the high- or medium-risk properties are homes and 258 are non-residential. 149 postcodes in Epping Forest have at least one property at high or medium risk.
Postcode districtsFlood risk across Epping Forest
Counts are for the part of each district inside Epping Forest.
| District | Properties | High + medium | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EN9 | 14,423 | 525 | 258 | 3.6% |
| CM19 | 2,007 | 210 | 209 | 10.5% |
| IG10 | 16,605 | 161 | 87 | 1.0% |
| EN11 | 209 | 144 | 102 | 68.9% |
| CM16 | 12,956 | 108 | 47 | 0.8% |
| EN10 | 638 | 50 | 3 | 7.8% |
| RM4 | 2,361 | 32 | 14 | 1.4% |
| CM5 | 7,326 | 17 | 9 | 0.2% |
| E4 | 1,229 | 16 | 11 | 1.3% |
| IG7 | 5,738 | 9 | 5 | 0.2% |
| CM21 | 1,412 | 6 | 4 | 0.4% |
| IG9 | 6,035 | 5 | 5 | 0.1% |
| CM22 | 561 | 1 | 1 | 0.2% |
| CM17 | 1,321 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
| CM4 | 244 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
| EN8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
| IG8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
Recorded floodsPast floods mapped in Epping Forest
The Environment Agency has mapped flood outlines on 25 dates in postcode districts that mostly lie in Epping Forest since 1947; the most recent started on 14 Jan 2021.
1940s 1 1960s 1 1970s 2 1980s 2 1990s 4 2000s 5 2010s 9 2020s 1
| Started | Place / name in the record | Source of flooding | Cause | Districts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Jan 2021 – 16 Jan 2021 | — 2 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | CM5 IG9 |
| 20 Dec 2019 – 23 Dec 2019 | — 5 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | EN9 IG9 RM4 |
| 22 Jan 2018 – 22 Jan 2019 | — 2 outlines | Main river, drainage | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | CM5 RM4 |
| 23 Jun 2016 – 25 Jun 2016 | — 2 outlines | Drainage | Local drainage/surface water | RM4 |
| 9 Jan 2015 | — 5 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | IG10 RM4 |
| 31 Jan 2014 – 18 Feb 2014 | — 4 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | IG10 RM4 |
| 23 Nov 2012 | — | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | RM4 |
| 14 Jul 2012 – 15 Jul 2014 | — | Ordinary watercourse | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | RM4 |
| 29 Apr 2012 – 30 Apr 2012 | — 6 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | RM4 |
| 23 Feb 2010 | — 5 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | IG10 IG9 |
| 9 Feb 2009 – 10 Feb 2009 | — 3 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | CM5 RM4 |
| 23 Dec 2002 – 12 Jan 2003 | — 2 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | IG9 |
| 21 Oct 2001 – 22 Oct 2001 | — | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | RM4 |
| 1 Oct 2000 – 30 Nov 2000 | — | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | RM4 |
| 1 Jan 2000 – 12 Dec 2000 | — 4 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | EN9 IG10 IG9 |
| 1 Oct 1993 – 31 Oct 1993 | — | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | CM5 |
| 1 Jan 1993 – 12 Dec 1993 | — 5 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | CM16 CM5 |
| 1 Jan 1992 – 12 Dec 1992 | — | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | RM4 |
| 1 Jan 1990 – 12 Dec 1990 | — 4 outlines | Main river, sewer | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | CM16 CM5 EN9 |
| 1 Jan 1987 – 31 Dec 1987 | — 14 outlines | Main river, drainage | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | CM16 CM5 EN9 IG10 RM4 |
| 1 Jan 1981 – 12 Dec 1981 | — 15 outlines | Main river, other | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | CM16 CM5 |
| 1 Jan 1978 – 12 Dec 1978 | — 2 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | CM5 EN9 |
| 1 Jan 1974 – 12 Dec 1974 | — 5 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | CM5 IG7 |
| 1 Jan 1968 – 12 Dec 1968 | — 3 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | EN9 RM4 |
| 1 Jan 1947 – 12 Dec 1947 | — 5 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | EN9 IG9 |
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.
"Epping Forest" means the local authority area (ONS code E07000072), not only the town centre.
If you live in Epping Forest
- 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 Epping Forest at risk of flooding?
In Epping Forest, 1,284 of 73,069 properties (1.8%) 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 146th of 296 local authorities in England by number.
Which parts of Epping Forest have the most properties at flood risk?
Postcode district EN9 has the most: 525 properties at high or medium risk (3.6% of its properties in Epping Forest). The table on this page lists every district.
When did Epping Forest last flood?
The Environment Agency has mapped flood outlines on 25 dates in postcode districts that mostly lie in Epping Forest since 1947; the most recent started on 14 Jan 2021.
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.