Flooding

Flooding information and advice

Call Floodline 0845 988 1188 to listen to recorded flood warning information for your area or speak to an operator for advice 24 hours a day.

Being prepared for flooding could save your life and your property.

You can read advice in the  Before During and After Flooding Leaflet (pdf, 363kb) (opens in a new window) .

The Environment Agency provide the following services to help you prepare for flooding in Dorset: 

• A free Flood Warning Direct service to inform you of flood warnings by telephone, mobile, email, SMS text message, fax or pager

• Information on why floods happen, to help you understand them

• Work to manage, respond to and mitigate flood risk to minimise the impact of floods

Find out more at the Environment Agency's flood pages (opens in a new window)  online. 

Real time information

Visit  Travel Dorset (opens in a new window) for current information on flooding in Dorset.

Reporting flooding on Highways

If you would like to report flooding or another problem on the highway please use . If the problem is urgent and requires immediate attention please phone 01305 221020

Property protection

It is the responsibility of property owners to take appropriate action to protect their property from flooding. Not all local authorities will provide you with sandbags in a flood emergency. Your local council may have some sandbags ready to deploy at times of flooding, but their priority is to protect the public at large.

Flood mitigation measures - Dorset County Council, in partnership with the Environment Agency and your local council, is looking into measures to assist householders who have had flooding to their homes. 

Flood recording

If your property has flooded please report this by completing the flood report form (word, 127kb) (opens in a new window) . The information is shared between the Environment Agency, the Lead Local Flood Authority, local authorities, water companies, highways authorities and emergency services to assist them in the planning process and the emergency response to flooding. It may be used to plan future flood defence schemes and to inform the public about whether there is a risk of flooding in a particular area

• Flooding - Christchurch Borough Council

  Information on flood protection in Christchurch.

• Flooding - East Dorset

  Information on flood protection and land drainage in East Dorset.

• Flood protection - North Dorset

  Information on flood protection and land drainage in North Dorset.

• Flooding and land drainage - Purbeck District Council

  The District Council is a flood risk management authority and has some powers under the Land Drainage Act. Changes brought about by the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 have modified the responsibilities of this council. Dorset County Council is now the lead flood risk management authority and has the main responsibility for investigating flooding.

• Flooding and land drainage - West Dorset District Council

  You could be affected even if your home doesn't flood. We can help you, your community or business to be better prepared.

• Flooding - Weymouth and Portland

  Problems or information sought on flooding or drainage problems in Weymouth and Portland.

• Managing local flood risk at Dorset County Council

  The council is now a Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA). As a LLFA we are responsible for managing flood risk from local sources such as watercourses, surface water and groundwater. We also ensure local flood incidents are investigated by the appropriate risk management authorities and regulate work on ordinary watercourses / culverts.

• Driving in floods and heavy rain

  Tips and advice on driving in floods and heavy rain, including useful links.