Westmorland and Furness Flood Risk
In Westmorland and Furness, 7,445 of 180,554 properties (4.1%) 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 16th of 296 local authorities in England by number.
By bandProperties in Westmorland and Furness 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 | 4,734 | 2,487 |
| Medium | between 1% and 3.3% (1 in 100 to 1 in 30) chance in any year | 2,711 | 1,469 |
| Low | between 0.1% and 1% (1 in 1,000 to 1 in 100) chance in any year | 7,452 | 4,751 |
| Very low | less than 0.1% (1 in 1,000) chance in any year | 2,207 | 1,661 |
3,956 of the high- or medium-risk properties are homes and 2,027 are non-residential. 1,142 postcodes in Westmorland and Furness have at least one property at high or medium risk.
Postcode districtsFlood risk across Westmorland and Furness
Counts are for the part of each district inside Westmorland and Furness.
| District | Properties | High + medium | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LA9 | 19,326 | 858 | 426 | 4.4% |
| LA22 | 6,017 | 848 | 668 | 14.1% |
| LA13 | 10,569 | 688 | 513 | 6.5% |
| LA11 | 9,021 | 557 | 393 | 6.2% |
| LA12 | 15,804 | 552 | 340 | 3.5% |
| CA11 | 19,532 | 472 | 251 | 2.4% |
| CA10 | 15,381 | 443 | 264 | 2.9% |
| LA8 | 9,294 | 429 | 214 | 4.6% |
| LA14 | 24,709 | 352 | 209 | 1.4% |
| CA16 | 6,287 | 346 | 254 | 5.5% |
| LA15 | 4,513 | 345 | 282 | 7.6% |
| LA23 | 8,696 | 323 | 226 | 3.7% |
| LA21 | 1,248 | 268 | 116 | 21.5% |
| CA17 | 5,544 | 211 | 116 | 3.8% |
| LA17 | 1,177 | 148 | 89 | 12.6% |
| LA10 | 3,838 | 107 | 50 | 2.8% |
| LA6 | 5,147 | 79 | 60 | 1.5% |
| LA16 | 1,859 | 78 | 43 | 4.2% |
| LA7 | 3,908 | 74 | 43 | 1.9% |
| LA20 | 1,292 | 62 | 41 | 4.8% |
| CA12 | 406 | 56 | 47 | 13.8% |
| CA4 | 3,096 | 55 | 37 | 1.8% |
| CA9 | 2,080 | 36 | 13 | 1.7% |
| LA5 | 1,691 | 28 | 19 | 1.7% |
| CA8 | 59 | 16 | 16 | 27.1% |
| CA5 | 17 | 12 | 4 | 70.6% |
| CA7 | 43 | 2 | 0 | 4.7% |
Recorded floodsPast floods mapped in Westmorland and Furness
The Environment Agency has mapped flood outlines on 54 dates in postcode districts that mostly lie in Westmorland and Furness since 1950; the most recent started on 1 Oct 2020.
1950s 2 1960s 1 1970s 1 1980s 2 1990s 7 2000s 27 2010s 11 2020s 3
| Started | Place / name in the record | Source of flooding | Cause | Districts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Oct 2020 – 2 Oct 2020 | Wenning Avenue | Drainage | Local drainage/surface water | LA6 |
| 15 Feb 2020 – 16 Feb 2020 | Storm Dennis 4 outlines | Ordinary watercourse, main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | LA23 LA7 LA9 |
| 9 Feb 2020 – 10 Feb 2020 | Storm Ciara 27 outlines | Main river, other | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | CA10 CA11 CA16 CA17 LA22 LA7 LA9 |
| 16 Mar 2019 | Flooding | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | CA11 |
| 22 Nov 2017 – 23 Nov 2017 | Lodge Lane 8 outlines | Main river, drainage | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | LA11 LA6 LA7 |
| 30 Sep 2017 – 1 Oct 2017 | Windermere Flooding 7 outlines | Other, main river | Local drainage/surface water | LA23 |
| 22 Aug 2016 – 23 Aug 2016 | — 4 outlines | Main river, ordinary watercourse | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | LA6 |
| 5 Dec 2015 – 6 Dec 2016 | Hawkshead 70 outlines | Main river, other | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | CA10 CA11 CA16 CA17 LA11 LA21 LA22 LA23 LA6 LA7 LA8 LA9 |
| 3 Jan 2014 | — | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | LA11 |
| 22 Nov 2012 | Tesco Metro Barrow 5 outlines | Main river, ordinary watercourse | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | LA12 LA13 LA15 |
| 28 Jun 2012 | Grange-over-Sands 7 outlines | Other, main river | Local drainage/surface water | CA10 CA9 LA11 LA17 LA23 LA7 |
| 15 Jan 2011 – 16 Jan 2011 | Appleby Flooding 2 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | CA16 LA23 |
| 5 Nov 2010 | Ambleside flooding | Drainage | Local drainage/surface water | LA22 |
| 17 Apr 2010 | — | Not recorded | Not recorded | LA22 |
| 19 Nov 2009 – 22 Nov 2009 | Burneside flooding 46 outlines | Main river, drainage | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | CA10 CA11 CA16 LA11 LA12 LA13 LA15 LA17 LA20 LA21 LA22 LA23 LA8 LA9 |
| 12 Jan 2009 | Burneside Flooding 2 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | CA11 LA9 |
| 10 Jan 2009 – 12 Jan 2009 | Bomby Flooding | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | CA10 |
| 23 Oct 2008 – 26 Oct 2008 | Burneside Flooding 9 outlines | Main river, other | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | LA11 LA22 LA23 LA9 |
| 12 Dec 2007 | Gleaston | Ordinary watercourse | Local drainage/surface water | LA13 |
| 19 Jul 2007 | Alston | Sewer | Local drainage/surface water | CA9 |
| 18 Jul 2007 | Newton Reigny | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | CA11 |
| 17 Jul 2007 – 18 Jul 2007 | Lindale 2 outlines | Other, main river | Groundwater/high water table | LA11 |
| 11 Jan 2007 | Appleby | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | CA16 |
| 10 Jan 2006 | Grasmere | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | LA22 |
| 3 Nov 2005 – 6 Nov 2005 | Coniston | Ordinary watercourse | Not recorded | LA21 |
| 24 Oct 2005 – 26 Oct 2005 | Coniston | Ordinary watercourse | Not recorded | LA21 |
| 8 Jan 2005 | Slaggyford 5 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | CA9 |
| 7 Jan 2005 – 8 Jan 2005 | Great Ormside 35 outlines | Main river, ordinary watercourse | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | CA10 CA11 CA16 CA17 LA22 LA7 LA8 LA9 |
| 18 Sep 2004 | Coniston | Not recorded | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | LA21 |
| 20 Aug 2004 | Gullom Holme 2 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | CA10 |
| 3 Feb 2004 | Kendal 2 outlines | Main river | Operational failure/breach of defence | CA17 LA9 |
| 31 Jan 2004 | Ulverston | Ordinary watercourse | Not recorded | LA12 |
| 2 Dec 2003 | Ulverston | Ordinary watercourse | Not recorded | LA12 |
| 30 Jul 2002 – 31 Jul 2002 | Flooding | Not recorded | Not recorded | CA11 |
| 1 Feb 2002 | Newbiggin Tidal Flood 3 outlines | Main river, sea | Overtopping of defences | LA11 LA13 |
| 31 Jan 2002 | Haverthwaite | Ordinary watercourse | Not recorded | LA12 |
| 28 Nov 2000 | Windermere | Main river | Obstruction/blockage - culvert | LA23 |
| 6 Nov 2000 | Flooding | Main river | Not recorded | CA16 |
| 2 Nov 2000 | Flooding | Main river | Not recorded | CA16 |
| 28 Oct 2000 | Kendal | Main river | Operational failure/breach of defence | LA8 |
Showing the 40 most recent of 54 dates.
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.
"Westmorland and Furness" means the local authority area (ONS code E06000064), not only the town centre.
If you live in Westmorland and Furness
- 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 Westmorland and Furness at risk of flooding?
In Westmorland and Furness, 7,445 of 180,554 properties (4.1%) 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 16th of 296 local authorities in England by number.
Which parts of Westmorland and Furness have the most properties at flood risk?
Postcode district LA9 has the most: 858 properties at high or medium risk (4.4% of its properties in Westmorland and Furness). The table on this page lists every district.
When did Westmorland and Furness last flood?
The Environment Agency has mapped flood outlines on 54 dates in postcode districts that mostly lie in Westmorland and Furness since 1950; the most recent started on 1 Oct 2020.
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.