South Ribble Flood Risk
In South Ribble, 2,707 of 59,893 properties (4.5%) 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 75th of 296 local authorities in England by number.
By bandProperties in South Ribble 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 | 820 | 620 |
| Medium | between 1% and 3.3% (1 in 100 to 1 in 30) chance in any year | 1,887 | 1,557 |
| Low | between 0.1% and 1% (1 in 1,000 to 1 in 100) chance in any year | 1,653 | 1,450 |
| Very low | less than 0.1% (1 in 1,000) chance in any year | 137 | 78 |
2,177 of the high- or medium-risk properties are homes and 457 are non-residential. 234 postcodes in South Ribble have at least one property at high or medium risk.
Postcode districtsFlood risk across South Ribble
Counts are for the part of each district inside South Ribble.
Recorded floodsPast floods mapped in South Ribble
The Environment Agency has mapped flood outlines on 22 dates in postcode districts that mostly lie in South Ribble since 1987; the most recent started on 31 Dec 2024.
1980s 1 1990s 2 2000s 6 2010s 9 2020s 4
| Started | Place / name in the record | Source of flooding | Cause | Districts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Dec 2024 – 1 Jan 2025 | — | Drainage | Local drainage/surface water | PR26 |
| 23 Jul 2023 – 24 Jul 2023 | Riverside Crescent 3 outlines | Drainage | Local drainage/surface water | PR26 |
| 6 Oct 2020 – 7 Oct 2020 | Central Avenue 3 outlines | Drainage, main river | Local drainage/surface water | PR25 PR26 |
| 9 Feb 2020 – 10 Feb 2020 | Kittlingbounre Brow Kittlingbounre Brow 2 outlines | Main river | Other | PR5 |
| 28 Sep 2019 – 29 Sep 2019 | Croston 4 outlines | Drainage | Local drainage/surface water | PR26 |
| 22 Nov 2017 – 23 Nov 2017 | Dawber's Lane 2 outlines | Not recorded | Not recorded | PR26 |
| 22 Aug 2016 – 23 Aug 2016 | Croston | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | PR26 |
| 26 Dec 2015 – 27 Dec 2015 | Lonsdale Drive, Croston 80 outlines | Main river, drainage | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | PR25 PR26 PR5 |
| 5 Dec 2015 – 6 Dec 2015 | Preston New Road, Samlesbury | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | PR5 |
| 22 Jun 2012 – 23 Jun 2012 | Bamber Bridge 19 outlines | Drainage, main river | Local drainage/surface water | PR25 PR26 PR5 |
| 3 Feb 2011 – 7 Feb 2011 | Grape Lane Croston 2 outlines | Sewer, drainage | Local drainage/surface water | PR26 |
| 20 Jul 2010 | Surface Water Flooding Lostock Hall | Other | Local drainage/surface water | PR5 |
| 14 Jul 2010 | Leyland flooding | Ordinary watercourse | Obstruction/blockage - culvert | PR25 |
| 21 Jan 2008 – 22 Jan 2008 | Flooding at Bannister Hall Estate 2 outlines | Drainage, other | Other | PR26 PR5 |
| 2 Dec 2007 – 3 Dec 2007 | Bryning Brook, Mendip Rd, Clayton-le-Woods | Main river | Obstruction/blockage - culvert | PR25 |
| 14 Jun 2002 – 15 Jun 2002 | R. Darwen at Walton-le-Dale | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | PR5 |
| 30 Oct 2000 – 1 Nov 2000 | Shevington Close, Croston Oct-Nov 8 outlines | Main river | Local drainage/surface water | PR26 PR5 |
| 26 Oct 2000 – 27 Oct 2000 | — | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | PR5 |
| 20 Oct 2000 – 1 Nov 2000 | Grape Lane, Croston | Not recorded | Local drainage/surface water | PR26 |
| 1 Aug 1999 – 2 Aug 1999 | — | Main river | Other | PR25 |
| 1 Sep 1998 – 2 Sep 1998 | — | Main river | Local drainage/surface water | PR25 |
| 22 Aug 1987 – 23 Aug 1987 | Bannister and Mill Brooks, Leyland 3 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | PR26 |
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 Ribble" means the local authority area (ONS code E07000126), not only the town centre.
If you live in South Ribble
- 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 Ribble at risk of flooding?
In South Ribble, 2,707 of 59,893 properties (4.5%) 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 75th of 296 local authorities in England by number.
Which parts of South Ribble have the most properties at flood risk?
Postcode district PR5 has the most: 1,073 properties at high or medium risk (5.5% of its properties in South Ribble). The table on this page lists every district.
When did South Ribble last flood?
The Environment Agency has mapped flood outlines on 22 dates in postcode districts that mostly lie in South Ribble since 1987; the most recent started on 31 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.