Flood risk & emergency preparedness in Exeter
The local picture for Exeter households: current flood warnings, your water and power operators, and the short list worth doing before anything happens.
Live data last updated 18/07/2026, 13:00:00
No Environment Agency flood warnings are in force for Devon right now. We check every six hours.
South West Water
A temporary use ban applies in Kent & Sussex. Check what's restricted before using a hosepipe.
Live hosepipe ban tracker →The flood picture in Exeter
Exeter sits on the River Exe, which is tidal in its lower reaches around Countess Wear and Topsham on the Exe Estuary. Severe flooding in October and December 1960 affected more than 1,000 properties and led to the city's flood defence scheme, which the Environment Agency substantially upgraded between 2014 and 2021.
Flood risk varies street by street, so check your exact address on the Environment Agency's free tool — it covers rivers, sea, surface water and groundwater, and takes a minute.
Check your address on GOV.UK →Who to contact in Exeter
Dial 105 (free) — you'll reach National Grid Electricity Distribution, the network operator for Exeter.
Power cut guide →Floodline: 0345 988 1188 (24h). Sign up for free EA flood warnings for your postcode on GOV.UK.
Sign up for warnings →Exeter City Council handles local flood response, sandbag policy and road closures.
Council flooding page →If flooding is forecast in Exeter
A flood warning usually gives you hours, not minutes. Use them in this order:
- 1Check the warning level. A Flood Alert means be aware; a Flood Warning means act now; a Severe Flood Warning means danger to life. Follow EA updates for the River Exe warning area.
- 2Move what matters. Take valuables, documents, medicines and irreplaceables upstairs or to high shelves. Move cars to higher ground early — flooded roads close fast.
- 3Deploy your kit. Sandbags or barriers at doors and airbricks if you have them — Exeter City Council publishes its sandbag policy on its flooding page.
- 4Prepare to switch off. Know where your electricity, gas and water shut-offs are, and switch off if water is about to enter — never touch electrics standing in water.
- 5Grab bag by the door. If you may need to leave: medicines, documents, chargers, warm clothes. Follow evacuation instructions from the emergency services, not social media.
Prepare your household
The same short list serves every emergency: water, food that needs no cooking, a torch, a charged power bank, and — if you're in a flood-risk street — a plan for moving valuables up and kit for keeping water out.
Flood insurance, and Flood Re
If your home is in a higher-risk part of Exeter, check your buildings and contents policies actually cover flooding, and at what excess. Homes that struggle to get affordable cover may be helped by Flood Re — the government-backed scheme that lets insurers pass on the flood part of eligible home policies, which typically makes cover cheaper and easier to find. Your insurer applies it automatically; if you've been quoted badly, ask specifically about Flood Re-backed policies.
After any flood, photograph everything before cleaning up, and contact your insurer before disposing of damaged items.
Common questions
Is Exeter at risk of flooding?
Exeter sits on the River Exe, which is tidal in its lower reaches around Countess Wear and Topsham on the Exe Estuary. Severe flooding in October and December 1960 affected more than 1,000 properties and led to the city's flood defence scheme, which the Environment Agency substantially upgraded between 2014 and 2021. For your exact address, use the Environment Agency's free long-term flood risk checker — risk varies street by street.
Who supplies water in Exeter?
South West Water supplies most households in Exeter. A hosepipe ban is currently in force in South West Water's area — see our live tracker for details.
Who do I call in a power cut in Exeter?
Dial 105, free from any phone — it connects you to National Grid Electricity Distribution, the network operator for Exeter, regardless of who you pay your bill to.
How do I get flood warnings for Exeter?
Sign up for the Environment Agency's free flood warnings (gov.uk) for alerts by phone, text or email, and call Floodline on 0345 988 1188 for current information.
Sources: Environment Agency flood-monitoring data and long-term flood risk service (GOV.UK); water company announcements via our tracker; Power Cut 105; Exeter City Council. Live figures refresh on a schedule — always follow official warnings first. PreparedBritain is independent and not affiliated with HM Government.
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