Flood risk & emergency preparedness in Taunton
The local picture for Taunton households: current flood warnings, your water and power operators, and the short list worth doing before anything happens.
Live data last updated 20/09/2026, 12:18:12
No Environment Agency flood warnings are in force for Somerset right now. We check twice a day.
Wessex Water
A temporary use ban applies across Wessex Water's supply area. Check what's restricted before using a hosepipe.
Live hosepipe ban tracker →The flood picture in Taunton
Taunton sits on the River Tone, fed by the Galmington, Sherford and Mill streams, whose combined runoff has twice brought the town close to flooding — in 2000 and again in 2012. The worst flood on record was in 1960, when more than 360 homes, shops and business premises went under water; in response the Tone through the town was re-modelled and its defences reinforced in the 1980s. Somerset's 20 Year Flood Action Plan, drawn up in 2014 after the Somerset Levels floods of winter 2013/14, set out the Taunton Strategic Flood Alleviation Improvements Scheme. Delivered jointly by Somerset Council and the Environment Agency, it combines optimised flood storage at Longrun Meadow with repaired and raised defences from Frieze Hill through Town Bridge to Firepool, reducing flood risk to around 1,414 properties.
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 Taunton
Dial 105 (free) — you'll reach National Grid Electricity Distribution, the network operator for Taunton.
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 →Somerset Council handles local flood response, sandbag policy and road closures.
Council flooding page →If flooding is forecast in Taunton
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 Tone 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 — Somerset 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 Taunton, 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 Taunton at risk of flooding?
Taunton sits on the River Tone, fed by the Galmington, Sherford and Mill streams, whose combined runoff has twice brought the town close to flooding — in 2000 and again in 2012. The worst flood on record was in 1960, when more than 360 homes, shops and business premises went under water; in response the Tone through the town was re-modelled and its defences reinforced in the 1980s. Somerset's 20 Year Flood Action Plan, drawn up in 2014 after the Somerset Levels floods of winter 2013/14, set out the Taunton Strategic Flood Alleviation Improvements Scheme. Delivered jointly by Somerset Council and the Environment Agency, it combines optimised flood storage at Longrun Meadow with repaired and raised defences from Frieze Hill through Town Bridge to Firepool, reducing flood risk to around 1,414 properties. For your exact address, use the Environment Agency's free long-term flood risk checker — risk varies street by street.
Who supplies water in Taunton?
Wessex Water supplies most households in Taunton. A temporary use ban is in force in Wessex Water's area — see our live tracker for what is restricted.
Who do I call in a power cut in Taunton?
Dial 105, free from any phone — it connects you to National Grid Electricity Distribution, the network operator for Taunton, regardless of who you pay your bill to.
How do I get flood warnings for Taunton?
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; Somerset Council. Live figures refresh on a schedule — always follow official warnings first. PreparedBritain is independent and not affiliated with HM Government.
Get told when Taunton's picture changes
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