West Devon Flood Risk
In West Devon, 1,465 of 45,118 properties (3.2%) 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 133rd of 296 local authorities in England by number.
By bandProperties in West Devon 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 | 1,037 | 648 |
| Medium | between 1% and 3.3% (1 in 100 to 1 in 30) chance in any year | 428 | 259 |
| Low | between 0.1% and 1% (1 in 1,000 to 1 in 100) chance in any year | 1,383 | 968 |
| Very low | less than 0.1% (1 in 1,000) chance in any year | 289 | 192 |
907 of the high- or medium-risk properties are homes and 366 are non-residential. 298 postcodes in West Devon have at least one property at high or medium risk.
Postcode districtsFlood risk across West Devon
Counts are for the part of each district inside West Devon.
Recorded floodsPast floods mapped in West Devon
The Environment Agency has mapped flood outlines on 34 dates in postcode districts that mostly lie in West Devon since 1953; the most recent started on 9 Dec 2025.
1950s 4 1960s 1 1970s 2 1980s 3 1990s 3 2000s 8 2010s 9 2020s 4
| Started | Place / name in the record | Source of flooding | Cause | Districts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Dec 2025 | Clearbrook 2 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | PL20 |
| 6 Jan 2025 | Horrabridge | Main river | Obstruction/blockage - debris screen | PL20 |
| 15 Nov 2022 | River Plym and Meavy | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | PL20 |
| 18 Dec 2020 | Horrabridge | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | PL20 |
| 9 Nov 2018 | Tavistock 2 outlines | Main river, drainage | Overtopping of defences | PL19 PL20 |
| 26 Dec 2017 | Meavy | Drainage | Local drainage/surface water | PL20 |
| 21 Jul 2017 | Horrabridge | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | PL20 |
| 6 Feb 2016 | Tavistock 10 outlines | Main river, ordinary watercourse | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | PL16 PL19 PL20 |
| 3 Jan 2016 | Horrabridge | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | PL20 |
| 28 Oct 2013 | Launceston Polson Bridge | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | PL16 |
| 20 Dec 2012 | Netherbridge 2 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | PL16 |
| 21 Nov 2012 | Walkhampton | Not recorded | Other | PL20 |
| 20 Nov 2012 | Milton Coombe | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | PL20 |
| 10 Jul 2008 | Horrabridge | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | PL20 |
| 20 Aug 2007 | Tavistock | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | PL19 |
| 25 Nov 2006 | Lifton, Tinhay 2 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | PL16 |
| 24 Nov 2006 | Bridstowe | Ordinary watercourse | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | EX20 |
| 11 Oct 2005 | Tavistock | Ordinary watercourse | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | PL19 |
| 23 Aug 2004 | Bridestowe | Ordinary watercourse | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | EX20 |
| 10 May 2004 | Horrabridge | Main river | Obstruction/blockage - culvert | PL20 |
| 30 Oct 2000 – 1 Nov 2000 | Lifton 3 outlines | Main river, ordinary watercourse | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | EX20 PL16 |
| 23 Sep 1993 | Yelverton | Drainage | Local drainage/surface water | PL20 |
| 12 Jun 1993 | Polson Bridge | Main river | Not recorded | PL16 |
| 30 Nov 1992 | Lee Bridge 2 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | PL16 |
| 19 Nov 1986 | Greystone Bridge | Main river | Not recorded | PL16 |
| 1 Dec 1984 | Walkhampton 6 outlines | Main river | Not recorded | PL20 |
| 26 May 1981 | Tavistock | Main river | Not recorded | PL19 |
| 27 Dec 1979 | Lifton 12 outlines | Main river, ordinary watercourse | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | EX20 PL16 PL19 PL20 |
| 1 Mar 1972 | Horrabridge | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | PL20 |
| 18 Dec 1965 – 19 Dec 1965 | River Taw 3 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | EX20 |
| 26 Nov 1959 | Greystone Bridge | Main river | Not recorded | PL16 |
| 27 Nov 1954 | Greystone Bridge | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | PL16 |
| 1 Jan 1954 | Polson Bridge | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | PL16 |
| 1 Jan 1953 | Horrabridge | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | PL20 |
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.
"West Devon" means the local authority area (ONS code E07000047), not only the town centre.
If you live in West Devon
- 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 West Devon at risk of flooding?
In West Devon, 1,465 of 45,118 properties (3.2%) 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 133rd of 296 local authorities in England by number.
Which parts of West Devon have the most properties at flood risk?
Postcode district PL19 has the most: 740 properties at high or medium risk (6.1% of its properties in West Devon). The table on this page lists every district.
When did West Devon last flood?
The Environment Agency has mapped flood outlines on 34 dates in postcode districts that mostly lie in West Devon since 1953; the most recent started on 9 Dec 2025.
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.