Is Suffolk at risk of flooding?

Suffolk has 66 designated flood areas monitored by the Environment Agency, giving it a High risk rating. It ranks #33 out of 152 English counties for flood risk.

How many flood warning areas are in Suffolk?

There are 66 flood warning and alert areas in Suffolk, monitored by 0 Environment Agency stations across 39 rivers.

Which rivers flood in Suffolk?

The main rivers in Suffolk include Blyth, Walpole, Bramfield, Blyth, Walpole, Chediston, Wrentham, Box, Brett, Chediston and 34 others. These rivers have monitoring stations tracking water levels in real time.

Do I need flood insurance in Suffolk?

If your property is in or near one of Suffolk's 66 flood areas, flood insurance is strongly recommended. The government's Flood Re scheme helps make flood insurance affordable for at-risk properties.

How can I check flood risk for my postcode?

Use the Environment Agency's flood risk checker or our postcode lookup tool to check the flood risk for your specific address. You can also browse Suffolk's flood areas on this page.

What was the worst flood in Suffolk?

Suffolk has experienced significant flooding events over the years. Check the Environment Agency's historical flood data and our UK Flood History guide for details on major events.

Flood Risk in Suffolk

East of England

Flood Areas

Stations

Rivers

Risk Level

High

#33 of 152 counties

Flood Areas in Suffolk

66 designated flood warning and alert areas

Name	River / Sea	Type
The River Deben from Debenham, to and including Bromeswell, and the River Lark from Clopton to Martlesham	River Deben, River Lark	Alert
The Suffolk coast at Southwold, including Reydon Marshes	River Blyth, North Sea	Warning
The Suffolk coast at Southwold, including Reydon Marshes	North Sea	Alert
The River Brett from Lavenham to Higham, including Monks Eleigh and Hadleigh	Brett	Warning
River Box, River Brett flood area near Suffolk	River Box, River Brett	Alert
The Thorpeness Hundred River from Saxmundham to Aldringham, and the River Ore from Framlingham to Blaxhall	Thorpeness Hundred, Ore	Alert
The Rivers Minsmere and Yox, from Sibton and Peasenhall to the Minsmere Levels, including Yoxford, Middleton and Eastbridge	River Minsmere	Warning
The Rivers Minsmere and Yox, from Peasenhall and Sibton to the Minsmere Levels, including Yoxford, Middleton and Eastbridge	Minsmere, Yox	Alert
Stour flood area near Suffolk	Stour	Alert
Gipping flood area near Suffolk	Gipping	Alert
Isolated riverside properties on the tidal River Deben estuary, at Waldringfield, Methersgate and Martlesham Creek	River Deben	Warning
The tidal Deben estuary, from Felixstowe Ferry and Bawdsey to Ufford	River Deben, North Sea	Alert
The Suffolk coast at Walberswick, Dunwich and surrounding marshes	North Sea, Dunwich River, River Blyth	Warning
The Suffolk coast from Lowestoft to Bawdsey, including the Blyth and Alde and Ore estuaries	North Sea	Alert
Minsmere Marshes on the Suffolk coast, including Eastbridge and Sizewell	Minsmere River, North Sea	Warning
The Suffolk and Essex coast from Felixstowe to Clacton, including Ipswich, and the Orwell and Stour estuaries	North Sea, River Orwell, River Deben	Alert
The River Stour from Boxted to Dedham, including Stratford St Mary	Stour	Warning
The north bank of Lake Lothing, from Mutford Bridge to Bascule Bridge, including Lowestoft Railway Station	Lake Lothing	Warning
The River Lark from Clopton to Martlesham, including Grundisburgh and the Bealings	Lark	Warning
The Chediston watercourse at Halesworth	Chediston	Warning
The Rivers Blyth and Walpole and Chediston, Bramfield and Wrentham watercourses	Blyth, Walpole, Chediston, Wrentham	Alert
River Orwell flood area near Suffolk	River Orwell	Warning
The upper Stour and surrounding tributaries, at Little Yeldham, Steeple Bumpstead, Haverhill, Kedington, Glemsford and Brockley, to and including, ...	Stour, Stour Brook, Bumpstead Brook	Alert
The west bank of the tidal River Orwell through Ipswich from Rayleigh Industrial Estate to the Ipswich Tidal Barrier and the railway bridge on Wher...	River Orwell	Warning
The Suffolk coast from Orford Ness to Bawdsey, including Butley and Shingle Street	North Sea	Warning
Groundwater flood area near Suffolk	Groundwater	Alert
The A12 from Lowestoft Bascule Bridge to the Bloodmore Roundabout through Kirkley, including Riverside Business Park	Lake Lothing	Warning
The River Gipping through Needham Market	Gipping	Warning
Rattlesden River, Gipping flood area near Suffolk	Rattlesden River, Gipping	Alert
The River Deben, from Debenham to Cretingham	River Deben	Warning
The tidal River Orwell estuary from Felixstowe, including Trimley Marshes, Pin Mill, Nacton Shore, The Strand under the Orwell Bridge, the Western ...	River Orwell	Warning
The Thorpeness Hundred River from Knodishall to Aldringham	Thorpeness Hundred	Warning
The tidal River Deben estuary, from Felixstowe Ferry Hamlet to Ufford, including the Deben Marshes	River Deben, North Sea	Warning
The tidal River Wang, including Wangford	River Wang	Warning
Thorpeness and Aldeburgh, and surrounding marshes	River Alde, North Sea	Warning
The south bank of Lake Lothing, from Mutford Bridge to Brooke Business Park	Lake Lothing	Warning
The Rattlesden River from Rattlesden to Combs Ford in Stowmarket	Rattlesden River	Warning
The Walpole River from Huntingfield to Halesworth, including the River Blyth at Blyford, and Bramfield watercourse	Blyth, Walpole, Bramfield	Warning
The north and south banks of the Stour estuary from Shotley Gate to the bottom of Cattawade Street and Factory Lane in Brantham	River Stour	Warning
The River Box from Boxford to Thorrington Street, including Polstead and Stoke-by-Nayland	Box	Warning
Bawdsey Quay and Felixstowe Ferry	River Deben, North Sea	Warning
Kessingland Beach to Potters Bridge and Easton Broad, including Benacre Broad and Covehithe Broad	North Sea	Warning
The River Gipping from Needham Market to London Road Bridge, Ipswich, including Bramford and Sproughton	Gipping	Warning
The River Stour from Sudbury to Boxted, including Bures and Nayland	Stour	Warning
Lowestoft seafront and docks, including the Denes caravan park, North and South Pier and Pavillion	North Sea	Warning
The River Stour from downstream of Kedington to Sudbury, including Clare and Cavendish	Stour	Warning
The River Deben from downstream of Cretingham to Ufford, including Letheringham, Easton and Wickham Market	Deben	Warning
The Wrentham watercourse at Wrentham	Wrentham	Warning
The River Stour upstream of Cattawade Barrage to Dedham, including Flatford	River Stour	Warning
Areas of Fornham St Martin at risk of groundwater flooding, including Old Hall Lane	Groundwater	Alert
The River Ore from Framlingham to Blaxhall, including Parham, Hacheston and Marlesford	River Ore	Warning
The tidal River Orwell at Cliff Quay industrial area in Ipswich	River Orwell	Warning
Woodbridge and Melton	River Deben, North Sea	Warning
The A12 at Blythburgh and upstream marshes	River Blyth	Warning
Snape, Iken and surrounding marshland	River Alde, North Sea	Warning
Oulton Broad near Mutford Lock, including Broadland Holiday Village and Nicholas Everitt Park	Oulton Broad	Warning
The River Gipping from the A14 at Stowmarket to upstream of Needham Market	Gipping	Warning
Areas of Newmarket at risk of groundwater flooding, including the High Street, and the A14 between junctions 37 and 38	Groundwater	Alert
The Suffolk coast at Felixstowe, from the Pier to the Port, including Landguard Point	North Sea, River Orwell	Warning
The Stour Brook from Meldham Bridge in Haverhill to Linnetts Lane in Sturmer	Stour Brook	Warning
River Lark flood area near Suffolk	River Lark	Warning
River Lark from Sicklesmere to Isleham	River Lark	Alert
River Kennett flood area near Suffolk	River Kennett	Warning
River Kennett from Cowlinge to Freckenham	River Kennett	Alert
The west bank of the tidal River Orwell from the railway bridge on Wherstead Road to Bourne Bridge	River Orwell	Warning
River Lark flood area near Suffolk	River Lark	Warning

Monitoring Stations

0 Environment Agency monitoring stations

Rivers in Suffolk

Blyth, Walpole, BramfieldBlyth, Walpole, Chediston, WrenthamBoxBrettChedistonDebenGippingGroundwaterLake LothingLarkMinsmere River, North SeaMinsmere, YoxNorth SeaNorth Sea, Dunwich River, River BlythNorth Sea, River OrwellNorth Sea, River Orwell, River DebenOulton BroadRattlesden RiverRattlesden River, GippingRiver Alde, North SeaRiver BlythRiver Blyth, North SeaRiver Box, River BrettRiver DebenRiver Deben, North SeaRiver Deben, River LarkRiver KennettRiver LarkRiver MinsmereRiver OreRiver OrwellRiver StourRiver WangStourStour BrookStour, Stour Brook, Bumpstead BrookThorpeness HundredThorpeness Hundred, OreWrentham

Flood Insurance Warning for Suffolk

Suffolk has 66 designated flood areas and a high flood risk rating. If you live in this area, check your buildings and contents insurance covers flood damage. Homes in high-risk areas may face higher premiums or require specialist cover.

Flood Insurance Guide →Planning & Flood Risk →