Preston Flood Risk
In Preston, 2,654 of 82,439 properties (3.2%) 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 78th of 296 local authorities in England by number.
By bandProperties in Preston 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 | 414 | 343 |
| Medium | between 1% and 3.3% (1 in 100 to 1 in 30) chance in any year | 2,240 | 1,892 |
| Low | between 0.1% and 1% (1 in 1,000 to 1 in 100) chance in any year | 1,315 | 970 |
| Very low | less than 0.1% (1 in 1,000) chance in any year | 289 | 265 |
2,235 of the high- or medium-risk properties are homes and 362 are non-residential. 168 postcodes in Preston have at least one property at high or medium risk.
Postcode districtsFlood risk across Preston
Counts are for the part of each district inside Preston.
Recorded floodsPast floods mapped in Preston
The Environment Agency has mapped flood outlines on 14 dates in postcode districts that mostly lie in Preston since 1980; the most recent started on 16 Jun 2020.
1980s 1 1990s 1 2000s 3 2010s 7 2020s 2
| Started | Place / name in the record | Source of flooding | Cause | Districts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Jun 2020 – 17 Jun 2020 | Towneley Road 11 outlines | Drainage | Local drainage/surface water | PR11 |
| 9 Feb 2020 – 10 Feb 2020 | Leyland Road 4 outlines | Main river | Not recorded | PR1 |
| 22 Nov 2017 – 23 Nov 2017 | Hill Road South | Not recorded | Not recorded | PR1 |
| 26 Dec 2015 – 27 Dec 2015 | Victoria Road, Walton-le-Dale 13 outlines | Drainage, main river | Local drainage/surface water | PR1 PR11 PR2 |
| 5 Dec 2015 – 6 Dec 2015 | Little Lane, Longridge | Not recorded | Not recorded | PR11 |
| 26 Sep 2015 – 27 Dec 2015 | Liverpool Road, Hutton 3 outlines | Not recorded | Not recorded | PR1 |
| 5 Dec 2013 – 6 Dec 2013 | Tidal Event | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | PR1 |
| 22 Jun 2012 – 23 Jun 2012 | Bamber Bridge pub 3 outlines | Main river, drainage | Other | PR1 PR2 |
| 14 Jul 2010 – 15 Jul 2010 | Surface water flooding, Ashton, Preston. | Sewer | Local drainage/surface water | PR1 |
| 28 Jun 2009 – 29 Jun 2009 | Surface water flooding, Ashton, Preston | Sewer | Local drainage/surface water | PR1 |
| 1 Feb 2002 – 2 Feb 2002 | — | Other | Overtopping of defences | PR1 |
| 26 Oct 2000 – 27 Oct 2000 | — | Main river | Local drainage/surface water | PR2 |
| 31 Jan 1995 – 1 Feb 1995 | — | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | PR1 |
| 27 Oct 1980 – 28 Oct 1980 | — 3 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | PR1 PR11 |
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.
"Preston" means the local authority area (ONS code E07000123), not only the town centre.
If you live in Preston
- 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 Preston at risk of flooding?
In Preston, 2,654 of 82,439 properties (3.2%) 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 78th of 296 local authorities in England by number.
Which parts of Preston have the most properties at flood risk?
Postcode district PR1 has the most: 1,596 properties at high or medium risk (5.6% of its properties in Preston). The table on this page lists every district.
When did Preston last flood?
The Environment Agency has mapped flood outlines on 14 dates in postcode districts that mostly lie in Preston since 1980; the most recent started on 16 Jun 2020.
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.