South Oxfordshire Flood Risk
In South Oxfordshire, 1,633 of 83,522 properties (2.0%) 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 126th of 296 local authorities in England by number.
By bandProperties in South Oxfordshire 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 | 1,050 | 668 |
| Medium | between 1% and 3.3% (1 in 100 to 1 in 30) chance in any year | 583 | 416 |
| Low | between 0.1% and 1% (1 in 1,000 to 1 in 100) chance in any year | 2,196 | 1,672 |
| Very low | less than 0.1% (1 in 1,000) chance in any year | 0 | 0 |
1,084 of the high- or medium-risk properties are homes and 233 are non-residential. 293 postcodes in South Oxfordshire have at least one property at high or medium risk.
Postcode districtsFlood risk across South Oxfordshire
Counts are for the part of each district inside South Oxfordshire.
Recorded floodsPast floods mapped in South Oxfordshire
The Environment Agency has mapped flood outlines on 13 dates in postcode districts that mostly lie in South Oxfordshire since 1947; the most recent started on 13 Dec 2013.
1940s 1 1970s 3 1990s 3 2000s 5 2010s 1
| Started | Place / name in the record | Source of flooding | Cause | Districts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Dec 2013 – 3 Mar 2014 | — | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | OX11 |
| 9 Feb 2009 – 20 Feb 2009 | Chalgrove Fluvial 14 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | OX44 RG9 |
| 12 Jan 2008 – 20 Jan 2008 | Dorchester Fluvial Water 12 outlines | Main river, ordinary watercourse | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | OX10 |
| 19 Jul 2007 – 29 Jul 2007 | Fawley Fluvial Water 117 outlines | Main river, drainage | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | OX10 OX11 RG9 |
| 23 Dec 2002 – 12 Jan 2003 | — 104 outlines | Other, main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | OX10 OX11 OX44 RG9 |
| 1 Jan 2000 – 12 Dec 2000 | — 51 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | RG9 |
| 1 Jan 1993 – 12 Dec 1993 | — 13 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | OX10 OX11 OX44 OX9 |
| 1 Jan 1992 – 12 Dec 1992 | — 29 outlines | Main river, other | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | OX10 OX11 OX33 OX39 OX44 OX9 |
| 1 Jan 1990 – 12 Dec 1990 | — 9 outlines | Main river, other | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | RG9 |
| 1 Jan 1979 – 12 Dec 1979 | — 27 outlines | Main river, other | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | OX10 OX11 |
| 1 Jan 1977 – 12 Dec 1977 | — 47 outlines | Other, main river | Local drainage/surface water | OX10 |
| 1 Jan 1974 – 12 Dec 1974 | — 37 outlines | Main river, other | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | RG9 |
| 1 Jan 1947 – 12 Dec 1947 | — 6 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | OX10 RG9 |
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.
"South Oxfordshire" means the local authority area (ONS code E07000179), not only the town centre.
If you live in South Oxfordshire
- 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 South Oxfordshire at risk of flooding?
In South Oxfordshire, 1,633 of 83,522 properties (2.0%) 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 126th of 296 local authorities in England by number.
Which parts of South Oxfordshire have the most properties at flood risk?
Postcode district OX10 has the most: 416 properties at high or medium risk (2.5% of its properties in South Oxfordshire). The table on this page lists every district.
When did South Oxfordshire last flood?
The Environment Agency has mapped flood outlines on 13 dates in postcode districts that mostly lie in South Oxfordshire since 1947; the most recent started on 13 Dec 2013.
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.