Affected by flooding? If you are worried about flooding, phone 0845 988 1188 or see latest flood warnings. To find how flooding affects you as an individual or business visit Directgov, Business Link or the Environment Agency Flood pages.

In England, 5.2 million properties are at risk of flooding. Of these, 1.4 million are at risk from rivers or the sea alone, 2.8 million are at risk from surface water alone and 1 million are at risk from both. There are also an estimated 200 homes at risk of complete loss to coastal erosion in the next 20 years. It is possible 2,000 more could become at risk over this period.

Latest news

• 22 May 2012 - New guidance on partnership funding and collaborative delivery of local flood risk management: a practical resource for LLFAs
• 20 March 2012 – Factsheet on sources of flood risk (PDF) published.
• 9 March 2012– Two reports reviewing the Coastal Change Pathfinder Programme have been published:
  • Coastal Change Pathfinder Review
  • Coastal Pathfinder Evaluation: An Assessment of the Five Largest Pathfinder Projects
• 15 February 2012 – Improving flood awareness and safety at caravan and camping sites – high level findings and recommendations published.

Who is responsible for managing the risks?

Defra has national policy responsibility for flood and coastal erosion risk management. Defra does not build or manage flood defences. Instead, government provides funding through grants to the Environment Agency and local authorities. The Environment Agency also administers grants for capital projects to local authorities and Internal Drainage Boards.

What government is doing

The Government has committed to take forward the findings of the Pitt Review to improve our flood defences, and prevent unnecessary building in areas of high flood risk. The Pitt Review was carried out following devastating flooding in 2007, and resulted in a series of recommendations for improving the way flood risk is managed in England. Flood and coastal erosion risk management continues to represent a significant part of Defra’s spending. The National Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy for England provides a national framework for local communities to develop local partnerships and solutions to the flood and coastal erosion risks they face, and underpins the partnership approach to funding flood and coastal resilience projects. The national strategy ensures that local decisions are made in a consistent way, and that decisions made in one area take account of impacts on another.

Key publications and documents

• National Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy for England
• Appraisal of flood and coastal erosion risk management: A Defra policy statement (June 2009)
• Flooding and insurance – a roadmap to 2013 and beyond
• The National Flood Emergency Framework For England
• Surface Water Management Plan Technical Guidance
• The Government’s Response to Sir Michael Pitt’s Review of the summer 2007 Floods
• The Pitt Review: Lessons Learned from the 2007 Floods (2008)
• Pitt Progress Report: December 2009 (PDF 2.8 MB)
• Final Pitt Progress Report – January 2012
• The threat posed by tsunami to the UK (2005) (PDF 5.2 MB)
• Internal Drainage Board Review
• Agricultural Land Tribunal
• Flood Rescue Concept of Operations (updated: 31 October 2011)

Internal Drainage Board – notices

24 February 2012 – The Needham and Laddus Internal Drainage Board Order 2012 (PDF)

14 February 2012 – Trent Valley Internal Drainage Board Order 2012 (PDF)

14 February 2012- Cowick and Snaith Internal Drainage Board Order 2012 (PDF)

14 February 2012- Doncaster East Internal Drainage Board Order 2012 (PDF)

14 February 2012- Ouse and Humber Drainage Board Order 2012 (PDF)

18 January 2012 – Swale and Ure Drainage Board Order 2012 (PDF)

12 January 2012 – North Level District (2010) Internal Drainage Board  Order 2012  (PDF)

10 January 2012 – Axe Brue Internal Drainage Board Order 2012 (PDF)

10 January 2012 – Danvm Internal Drainage Board Order 2012 (PDF)