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Flood Risk

The UK's most comprehensive flood risk API. Planning zones, flood depths, flow velocity, hazard ratings, climate projections, and 80 years of historic events - unified from Environment Agency, SEPA, and Natural Resources Wales.

53M+
Flood Records
6
Data Sources
80+ years
Historic Events
2080
Climate Scenarios

Beyond Simple Zones

Regulatory zones tell you IF a property might flood. Our data tells you HOW DEEP the water gets, HOW FAST it flows, and HOW DANGEROUS it becomes. Five depth thresholds from ankle-deep (0.2m) to head-height (1.2m). Four velocity bands up to 2m/s. Hazard ratings that quantify actual danger to life.

Climate Change Projections

Every flood metric available for both present day AND 2080 climate scenarios. See exactly which properties will shift from low-risk to high-risk as climate change increases flood frequency. Essential for long-term lending, infrastructure planning, and portfolio risk assessment.

80 Years of Flood History

50,000+ recorded flood outlines dating back to 1946. Know which properties have actually flooded, not just which might flood. Classified by source (river, coastal, surface water, sewer, groundwater) with data quality ratings and exact event dates.

Overview

A unified flood risk intelligence layer combining regulatory planning zones, quantitative risk metrics, historic event data, and infrastructure failure scenarios from every authoritative UK source.

The API delivers granular flood analytics beyond standard zone classifications. Query actual flood depths at five thresholds, flow velocities up to 2m/s, and hazard ratings that quantify danger to life. Access present-day risk assessments alongside 2080 climate projections to understand how exposure will evolve over asset holding periods.

Historic flood outlines dating to 1946 provide empirical validation of modelled risk. Reservoir breach scenarios model downstream impact from regulated water infrastructure. All data is spatially indexed and queryable by coordinates, UPRN, bounding box, or polygon intersection.

Data from Environment Agency, SEPA, and Natural Resources Wales is normalised into a consistent schema with standardised zone classifications, risk bands, and coordinate systems. One integration provides complete Great Britain coverage.

What's Included

Beyond Simple Zones

Regulatory zones tell you IF a property might flood. Our data tells you HOW DEEP the water gets, HOW FAST it flows, and HOW DANGEROUS it becomes. Five depth thresholds from ankle-deep (0.2m) to head-height (1.2m). Four velocity bands up to 2m/s. Hazard ratings that quantify actual danger to life.

Climate Change Projections

Every flood metric available for both present day AND 2080 climate scenarios. See exactly which properties will shift from low-risk to high-risk as climate change increases flood frequency. Essential for long-term lending, infrastructure planning, and portfolio risk assessment.

80 Years of Flood History

50,000+ recorded flood outlines dating back to 1946. Know which properties have actually flooded, not just which might flood. Classified by source (river, coastal, surface water, sewer, groundwater) with data quality ratings and exact event dates.

Reservoir Failure Scenarios

200,000+ modelled flood extents showing what happens if nearby reservoirs breach. Dry day, wet day, and fluvial contribution scenarios. Know the true worst-case for any property near regulated water infrastructure.

Three Nations, One API

Environment Agency (England), SEPA (Scotland), and Natural Resources Wales - each with different formats, naming conventions, and update schedules. We normalise everything into a consistent schema so you query once and get unified results across Great Britain.

Query Any Way You Need

Point lookup by coordinates or UPRN. Bounding box for area analysis. Polygon intersection for site assessment. Filter by risk band, flood source, depth threshold, or scenario. Get exactly the data you need, nothing you don't.

Use Cases

1

Mortgage Risk Assessment

Instantly assess flood exposure during property valuation. Go beyond Zone 2/3 checks - understand actual depth and velocity risk. Factor climate projections into 25-year mortgage decisions. Flag properties with historic flood events.

Lenders
2

Insurance Pricing & Claims

Price flood risk accurately with depth and hazard data, not just zone membership. Validate claims against historic flood outlines. Model portfolio exposure under climate change scenarios. Identify properties near reservoir failure zones.

Insurers
3

Property Platform Enhancement

Display meaningful flood information to buyers - not just 'Zone 2' but 'potential depth up to 0.6m in severe events'. Show historic floods, climate trajectory, and nearby reservoir risks. Differentiate with data depth competitors can't match.

PropTech
4

Development Site Assessment

Comprehensive flood due diligence for land acquisition. Understand surface water vs river risk. Check flow velocity for drainage design. Identify areas where climate change will shift risk bands before your development completes.

Developers

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between flood zones and flood risk data?
Flood zones (Zone 1/2/3) are regulatory categories used for planning decisions - they tell you probability bands but not severity. Our flood risk data from NaFRA includes actual metrics: flood depth in metres, flow velocity in m/s, and hazard ratings that quantify danger to life. Zones tell you IF flooding might happen; risk data tells you HOW BAD it would be.
Why include climate change projections?
Flood risk is changing. Areas currently in Zone 1 may be Zone 2 by 2080. For long-term decisions - mortgages, infrastructure, development - you need to understand where risk is heading, not just where it is today. Our 2080 scenario data comes directly from Environment Agency climate-adjusted modelling.
How do you handle different data formats across agencies?
Each agency uses different naming conventions (EA uses 'FZ3', SEPA uses 'High', NRW uses 'Flood Zone 3'), coordinate systems, and file formats. We normalise everything: standardised zone names, consistent risk bands, unified coordinate system (WGS84), and a single query interface. You don't need to know which agency covers which area.
What does the hazard rating actually mean?
Hazard rating combines depth and velocity using the formula: Depth × (Velocity + 0.5) + Debris factor. A rating of 0.75 means 'danger to some' (children, elderly). 1.25 means 'danger to most people'. 2.0 means 'danger to all - loss of life possible'. This is what emergency planners use to prioritise evacuation zones.
How current is the historic flood data?
We include every recorded flood outline from Environment Agency's database, dating back to 1946. New events are added as they're surveyed and published - typically within 6-12 months of a major flood event. Each record includes the exact dates, flood source, cause, and a data quality rating.