Sefton Flood Risk
In Sefton, 543 of 151,239 properties (0.4%) 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 229th of 296 local authorities in England by number.
By bandProperties in Sefton 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 | 181 | 70 |
| Medium | between 1% and 3.3% (1 in 100 to 1 in 30) chance in any year | 362 | 164 |
| Low | between 0.1% and 1% (1 in 1,000 to 1 in 100) chance in any year | 1,089 | 962 |
| Very low | less than 0.1% (1 in 1,000) chance in any year | 6,879 | 6,295 |
234 of the high- or medium-risk properties are homes and 237 are non-residential. 65 postcodes in Sefton have at least one property at high or medium risk.
Postcode districtsFlood risk across Sefton
Counts are for the part of each district inside Sefton.
Recorded floodsPast floods mapped in Sefton
The Environment Agency has mapped flood outlines on 16 dates in postcode districts that mostly lie in Sefton since 1969; the most recent started on 10 Aug 2020.
1960s 1 1970s 1 1990s 2 2000s 2 2010s 9 2020s 1
| Started | Place / name in the record | Source of flooding | Cause | Districts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Aug 2020 – 11 Aug 2020 | Liverpool Road North 4 outlines | Drainage | Local drainage/surface water | L29 L31 PR9 |
| 24 Sep 2019 – 25 Sep 2019 | Dovers Brook, Maghull | Main river | Other | L29 |
| 22 Nov 2017 – 23 Nov 2017 | Southport Road, Bullens Lane 3 outlines | Drainage | Local drainage/surface water | PR8 PR9 |
| 5 Sep 2017 | — 5 outlines | Other | Local drainage/surface water | PR8 PR9 |
| 16 Jun 2016 – 17 Jun 2016 | — | Not recorded | Not recorded | PR8 |
| 26 Dec 2015 – 27 Dec 2015 | Hall Lane, Maghull 15 outlines | Main river, drainage | Other | L10 L29 L31 PR8 PR9 |
| 5 Dec 2013 – 6 Dec 2013 | Tidal Event 2 outlines | Sea | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | L23 L38 |
| 24 Sep 2012 – 25 Sep 2012 | Moss Lane Maghull 7 outlines | Drainage, main river | Local drainage/surface water | L29 L31 L37 |
| 6 Feb 2011 – 7 Feb 2011 | Maghull at Hall Lane 2 outlines | Main river | Obstruction/blockage - culvert | L31 L37 |
| 20 Jul 2010 – 30 Jul 2010 | Sefton Lane 2 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | L29 |
| 10 Aug 2004 – 11 Aug 2004 | Dover's Brook Flooding | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | L29 |
| 30 Oct 2000 – 31 Oct 2000 | — | Main river | Operational failure/breach of defence | L37 |
| 21 Jan 1995 – 22 Jan 1995 | — | Main river | Obstruction/blockage - channel | L31 |
| 22 Oct 1994 – 23 Oct 1994 | — | Main river | Obstruction/blockage - channel | L31 |
| 18 Nov 1970 – 19 Nov 1970 | — | Main river | Obstruction/blockage - channel | L31 |
| 12 Nov 1969 – 13 Nov 1969 | — | Main river | Obstruction/blockage - channel | L31 |
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.
"Sefton" means the local authority area (ONS code E08000014), not only the town centre.
If you live in Sefton
- 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 Sefton at risk of flooding?
In Sefton, 543 of 151,239 properties (0.4%) 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 229th of 296 local authorities in England by number.
Which parts of Sefton have the most properties at flood risk?
Postcode district L31 has the most: 210 properties at high or medium risk (1.4% of its properties in Sefton). The table on this page lists every district.
When did Sefton last flood?
The Environment Agency has mapped flood outlines on 16 dates in postcode districts that mostly lie in Sefton since 1969; the most recent started on 10 Aug 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.