Flood risk & emergency preparedness in Staines-upon-Thames
The local picture for Staines-upon-Thames households: current flood warnings, your water and power operators, and the short list worth doing before anything happens.
Live data last updated 22/07/2026, 11:14:16
No Environment Agency flood warnings are in force for Surrey right now. We check every six hours.
Affinity Water
A temporary use ban applies in Central region (Beds, Berks, Bucks, Herts, Surrey, NW London). Check what's restricted before using a hosepipe.
Live hosepipe ban tracker →The flood picture in Staines-upon-Thames
Staines-upon-Thames sits where the River Ash and the wider Colne system meet the Thames, and flooding here usually results from the two interacting: when the Thames runs high, water backs up behind it. In February 2014 — the wettest winter on record, with the Thames at its highest flows since 1974 — the Ash alone flooded at least 80 homes and their grounds in Staines, and the Thames Water-owned Staines Aqueduct briefly overtopped as the Colne distributaries struggled to discharge. Across Surrey that winter roughly 1,000 homes were flooded and about 600 properties evacuated. The Environment Agency's River Thames Scheme, now scoped as two channel sections totalling about 8.5km — Egham Hythe to Chertsey, and Laleham to above Desborough Cut — is designed to lower flood levels through this reach.
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 Staines-upon-Thames
Dial 105 (free) — you'll reach Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks, the network operator for Staines-upon-Thames.
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 →Surrey County Council handles local flood response, sandbag policy and road closures.
Council flooding page →If flooding is forecast in Staines-upon-Thames
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 Thames 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 — Surrey County 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 Staines-upon-Thames, 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.
Nearby areas
Common questions
Is Staines-upon-Thames at risk of flooding?
Staines-upon-Thames sits where the River Ash and the wider Colne system meet the Thames, and flooding here usually results from the two interacting: when the Thames runs high, water backs up behind it. In February 2014 — the wettest winter on record, with the Thames at its highest flows since 1974 — the Ash alone flooded at least 80 homes and their grounds in Staines, and the Thames Water-owned Staines Aqueduct briefly overtopped as the Colne distributaries struggled to discharge. Across Surrey that winter roughly 1,000 homes were flooded and about 600 properties evacuated. The Environment Agency's River Thames Scheme, now scoped as two channel sections totalling about 8.5km — Egham Hythe to Chertsey, and Laleham to above Desborough Cut — is designed to lower flood levels through this reach. For your exact address, use the Environment Agency's free long-term flood risk checker — risk varies street by street.
Who supplies water in Staines-upon-Thames?
Affinity Water supplies most households in Staines-upon-Thames. A hosepipe ban is currently in force in Affinity Water's area — see our live tracker for details.
Who do I call in a power cut in Staines-upon-Thames?
Dial 105, free from any phone — it connects you to Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks, the network operator for Staines-upon-Thames, regardless of who you pay your bill to.
How do I get flood warnings for Staines-upon-Thames?
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; Surrey County 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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