Sunderland Flood Risk
In Sunderland, 320 of 145,964 properties (0.2%) 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 260th of 296 local authorities in England by number.
By bandProperties in Sunderland 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 | 189 | 146 |
| Medium | between 1% and 3.3% (1 in 100 to 1 in 30) chance in any year | 131 | 115 |
| Low | between 0.1% and 1% (1 in 1,000 to 1 in 100) chance in any year | 461 | 392 |
| Very low | less than 0.1% (1 in 1,000) chance in any year | 5 | 0 |
261 of the high- or medium-risk properties are homes and 39 are non-residential. 57 postcodes in Sunderland have at least one property at high or medium risk.
Postcode districtsFlood risk across Sunderland
Counts are for the part of each district inside Sunderland.
Recorded floodsPast floods mapped in Sunderland
The Environment Agency has mapped flood outlines on 8 dates in postcode districts that mostly lie in Sunderland since 1900; the most recent started on 19 Aug 2008.
1900s 1 1920s 1 1960s 2 1970s 1 2000s 3
| Started | Place / name in the record | Source of flooding | Cause | Districts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Aug 2008 | Meadow Park, Ryhope, Sunderland | Drainage | Local drainage/surface water | SR2 |
| 7 Aug 2002 | Hetton-Le-Hole | Drainage | Not recorded | DH5 |
| 8 Nov 2000 | Fatfield | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | NE38 |
| 1 Jan 1975 – 31 Dec 1975 | Sedgeletch | Main river | Not recorded | DH4 |
| 1 Jan 1968 – 31 Dec 1968 | Fatfield | Main river | Other | NE38 |
| 19 Nov 1965 | Sedgeletch | Main river | Not recorded | DH4 |
| 1 Jan 1924 – 31 Dec 1924 | Fatfield | Main river | Not recorded | NE38 |
| 1 Jan 1900 – 31 Dec 1978 | New Lambton 3 outlines | Main river | Other | DH4 DH5 |
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.
"Sunderland" means the local authority area (ONS code E08000024), not only the town centre.
If you live in Sunderland
- 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 Sunderland at risk of flooding?
In Sunderland, 320 of 145,964 properties (0.2%) 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 260th of 296 local authorities in England by number.
Which parts of Sunderland have the most properties at flood risk?
Postcode district DH4 has the most: 119 properties at high or medium risk (0.8% of its properties in Sunderland). The table on this page lists every district.
When did Sunderland last flood?
The Environment Agency has mapped flood outlines on 8 dates in postcode districts that mostly lie in Sunderland since 1900; the most recent started on 19 Aug 2008.
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.