Swindon Flood Risk
In Swindon, 903 of 118,931 properties (0.8%) 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 182nd of 296 local authorities in England by number.
By bandProperties in Swindon 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 | 639 | 545 |
| Medium | between 1% and 3.3% (1 in 100 to 1 in 30) chance in any year | 264 | 229 |
| Low | between 0.1% and 1% (1 in 1,000 to 1 in 100) chance in any year | 1,345 | 1,223 |
| Very low | less than 0.1% (1 in 1,000) chance in any year | 242 | 237 |
774 of the high- or medium-risk properties are homes and 63 are non-residential. 133 postcodes in Swindon have at least one property at high or medium risk.
Postcode districtsFlood risk across Swindon
Counts are for the part of each district inside Swindon.
Recorded floodsPast floods mapped in Swindon
The Environment Agency has mapped flood outlines on 17 dates in postcode districts that mostly lie in Swindon since 1925; the most recent started on 24 Dec 2013.
1920s 1 1940s 1 1960s 3 1970s 4 1990s 2 2000s 5 2010s 1
| Started | Place / name in the record | Source of flooding | Cause | Districts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Dec 2013 | This represents flooding in the area in | Drainage | Not recorded | SN5 |
| 10 Feb 2009 | North Wessex 4 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | SN5 |
| 12 Jan 2008 – 20 Jan 2008 | Watchfield Fluvial Water 3 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | SN25 SN6 |
| 20 Jul 2007 – 21 Jul 2007 | This represents flooding in this area in | Ordinary watercourse | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | SN5 |
| 19 Jul 2007 – 29 Jul 2007 | Lechlade Fluvial Water 37 outlines | Main river, drainage | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | SN3 SN38 SN6 |
| 6 Jul 2006 | Rodbourne fluvial | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | SN38 |
| 1 Jan 1993 – 12 Dec 1993 | — 5 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | SN26 SN3 SN6 |
| 1 Jan 1992 – 12 Dec 1992 | — 10 outlines | Main river, other | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | SN25 SN26 SN3 SN6 |
| 6 Mar 1978 | This represents flooding in the area in 3 outlines | Main river, ordinary watercourse | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | SN5 |
| 1 Jan 1977 – 12 Dec 1977 | — 251 outlines | Other, main river | Local drainage/surface water | SN26 SN6 |
| 11 Jun 1971 | This represents flooding in this area in | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | SN5 |
| 1 Jan 1971 – 12 Dec 1971 | — 4 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | SN38 |
| 10 Jul 1968 | This represents flooding in this area in | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | SN5 |
| 1 Jan 1968 – 12 Dec 1968 | — 16 outlines | Main river, other | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | SN2 SN25 SN3 SN38 SN5 |
| 4 Dec 1960 | This represents flooding in this area in | Main river | Not recorded | SN5 |
| 1 Jan 1947 – 12 Dec 1947 | — 3 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | SN25 |
| 1 Jan 1925 – 31 Jan 1925 | Brinkworth Brook | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | SN5 |
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.
"Swindon" means the local authority area (ONS code E06000030), not only the town centre.
If you live in Swindon
- 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 Swindon at risk of flooding?
In Swindon, 903 of 118,931 properties (0.8%) 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 182nd of 296 local authorities in England by number.
Which parts of Swindon have the most properties at flood risk?
Postcode district SN25 has the most: 376 properties at high or medium risk (1.9% of its properties in Swindon). The table on this page lists every district.
When did Swindon last flood?
The Environment Agency has mapped flood outlines on 17 dates in postcode districts that mostly lie in Swindon since 1925; the most recent started on 24 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.