Flood risk & emergency preparedness in Windsor
The local picture for Windsor 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 Berkshire right now. We check every six hours.
Thames Water
No temporary use ban is currently listed for Thames Water on our tracker.
Live hosepipe ban tracker →The flood picture in Windsor
Windsor and Eton sit on a stretch of the Thames with a long flood record, including 1947, 2003 and, most seriously in recent decades, February 2014. Since 2002 the two towns have been largely protected by the Jubilee River, an 11.6km relief channel that diverts up to around 180 cubic metres per second from the Thames above Maidenhead and rejoins it near Datchet, reducing risk to roughly 3,000 properties in Maidenhead, Windsor, Eton and Cookham. Its effect on communities further downstream has been contested since it first operated during the 2003 floods and remains the subject of ongoing study. In 2020 the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead withdrew from the £640m River Thames Scheme, judging its share unaffordable, which removed the channel section that would have protected Datchet and Wraysbury.
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 Windsor
Dial 105 (free) — you'll reach Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks, the network operator for Windsor.
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 →Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead handles local flood response, sandbag policy and road closures.
Council flooding page →If flooding is forecast in Windsor
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 — Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead 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 Windsor, 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 Windsor at risk of flooding?
Windsor and Eton sit on a stretch of the Thames with a long flood record, including 1947, 2003 and, most seriously in recent decades, February 2014. Since 2002 the two towns have been largely protected by the Jubilee River, an 11.6km relief channel that diverts up to around 180 cubic metres per second from the Thames above Maidenhead and rejoins it near Datchet, reducing risk to roughly 3,000 properties in Maidenhead, Windsor, Eton and Cookham. Its effect on communities further downstream has been contested since it first operated during the 2003 floods and remains the subject of ongoing study. In 2020 the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead withdrew from the £640m River Thames Scheme, judging its share unaffordable, which removed the channel section that would have protected Datchet and Wraysbury. For your exact address, use the Environment Agency's free long-term flood risk checker — risk varies street by street.
Who supplies water in Windsor?
Thames Water supplies most households in Windsor. No hosepipe ban is currently listed for Thames Water on our tracker.
Who do I call in a power cut in Windsor?
Dial 105, free from any phone — it connects you to Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks, the network operator for Windsor, regardless of who you pay your bill to.
How do I get flood warnings for Windsor?
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; Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. Live figures refresh on a schedule — always follow official warnings first. PreparedBritain is independent and not affiliated with HM Government.
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