Rossendale Flood Risk
In Rossendale, 1,653 of 39,040 properties (4.2%) 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 123rd of 296 local authorities in England by number.
By bandProperties in Rossendale 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 | 919 | 538 |
| Medium | between 1% and 3.3% (1 in 100 to 1 in 30) chance in any year | 734 | 438 |
| Low | between 0.1% and 1% (1 in 1,000 to 1 in 100) chance in any year | 2,520 | 1,830 |
| Very low | less than 0.1% (1 in 1,000) chance in any year | 49 | 40 |
976 of the high- or medium-risk properties are homes and 576 are non-residential. 222 postcodes in Rossendale have at least one property at high or medium risk.
Postcode districtsFlood risk across Rossendale
Counts are for the part of each district inside Rossendale.
Recorded floodsPast floods mapped in Rossendale
The Environment Agency has mapped flood outlines on 22 dates in postcode districts that mostly lie in Rossendale since 1980; the most recent started on 5 Dec 2024.
1980s 1 1990s 5 2000s 8 2010s 5 2020s 3
| Started | Place / name in the record | Source of flooding | Cause | Districts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Dec 2024 | Burnley Road East Storm Darragh 14 outlines | Drainage, ordinary watercourse | Local drainage/surface water | BB4 OL13 |
| 23 Nov 2024 | Burnley Road East Storm Bert 20 outlines | Drainage, main river | Local drainage/surface water | BB4 OL13 |
| 9 Feb 2020 | Stubbylee 10 outlines | Main river, ordinary watercourse | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | BB4 OL13 |
| 28 Jul 2019 – 31 Jul 2019 | SHAWFORTH | Not recorded | Local drainage/surface water | OL13 |
| 21 Oct 2017 | Burnley Road East 2 outlines | Main river, drainage | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | BB4 |
| 26 Dec 2015 | Blackwood Road , Sacksteads 23 outlines | Other, main river | Groundwater/high water table | BB4 OL13 |
| 29 Jul 2013 | PioneerHealthStudio 4 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | OL13 |
| 22 Jun 2012 | Crawshawbooth | Main river | Obstruction/blockage - culvert | BB4 |
| 24 Nov 2009 – 25 Nov 2009 | RiverIrwell 2 outlines | Ordinary watercourse | Obstruction/blockage - culvert | OL13 |
| 23 Nov 2009 – 24 Nov 2009 | River Irwell Bacup 2 outlines | Ordinary watercourse | Obstruction/blockage - culvert | OL13 |
| 18 Nov 2009 – 19 Nov 2009 | River Irwell 6 outlines | Drainage | Local drainage/surface water | BB4 |
| 21 Jan 2008 – 22 Jan 2008 | Whitewell Brook Edgeside 2 outlines | Main river | Not recorded | BB4 OL13 |
| 3 Aug 2004 – 4 Aug 2004 | Cowpe Brook Cowpe | Main river | Not recorded | BB4 |
| 2 Aug 2002 – 3 Aug 2002 | River Irwell Broad Clough | Main river | Not recorded | OL13 |
| 1 Aug 2002 – 2 Aug 2002 | — | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | BB4 |
| 14 Jun 2002 – 15 Jun 2002 | River Irwell Lane Side 18 outlines | Main river, ordinary watercourse | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | BB4 OL13 |
| 1 Oct 1999 – 2 Oct 1999 | — 2 outlines | Not recorded | Other | BB4 |
| 5 Jul 1999 – 6 Jul 1999 | — 2 outlines | Not recorded | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | BB4 |
| 2 Mar 1999 – 3 Mar 1999 | — | Not recorded | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | BB4 |
| 23 Oct 1998 – 24 Oct 1998 | — 2 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | BB4 OL13 |
| 28 Jan 1995 – 29 Jan 1995 | — 3 outlines | Not recorded | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | BB4 |
| 23 Oct 1980 – 24 Oct 1980 | — | Not recorded | Not recorded | BB4 |
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.
"Rossendale" means the local authority area (ONS code E07000125), not only the town centre.
If you live in Rossendale
- 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 Rossendale at risk of flooding?
In Rossendale, 1,653 of 39,040 properties (4.2%) 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 123rd of 296 local authorities in England by number.
Which parts of Rossendale have the most properties at flood risk?
Postcode district BB4 has the most: 1,030 properties at high or medium risk (4.4% of its properties in Rossendale). The table on this page lists every district.
When did Rossendale last flood?
The Environment Agency has mapped flood outlines on 22 dates in postcode districts that mostly lie in Rossendale since 1980; the most recent started on 5 Dec 2024.
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.