Flooding can happen anywhere in Surrey, whether near to watercourses or not. Floods can even occur during summer months when thunderstorms trigger torrential downpours.

The drainage system sometimes can't cope with the magnitude of water that collects on surrounding surfaces, especially when they are already saturated with large quantities of water. In this case, even a small amount of additional rainfall can cause flooding.

Flooding can be caused by cracks in broken pipes owned by water companies and heavier than normal rainfall that causes water to run onto roads from fields and over-full rivers. It can also be caused by the collection of mud, leaves and other debris that block drains.

If you see a flood, you can report it on our on-line reporting form

If you think that the flood may be an emergency situation, please call 0300 200 1003 immediately instead of filling in the reporting form.

Who to contact to report problems with floods

Local borough or district councils

• Small river floods should be reported to your local borough or district council
• Street sweepers are used to remove leaves and other surface debris that obstruct drains. Please contact your local council if you think that a road is in urgent need of sweeping.

Environment Agency

Floods from a large river should be reported to the Environment Agency:

• General enquiry line - 08708 506506
• Emergency hotline - 0800 807060
• Floodline - 08459 881 188
• E-mail: enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk

The Environment Agency posts flood alerts for the Thames region and South region

Surrey County Council

We clean out drains that are blocked from the inside. If you think that a drain is blocked in this way and may be the cause of a localised flood, please report it by using the online reporting form

We are looking to gather as much information as possible from the public on historic flooding, to assist in assessing future flood risk and help with the development of Flood Risk Management Plans. If you have any information on past floods that you would like to share, you can report it using our online survey here.

Find out more about drains and how we clear them and see a list of frequently asked questions on our drains pages

Water utility companies

Public sewer floods are the responsibility of the water companies should be reported to Thames Water or Southern Water depending on the area in which the flood is located.

Flooding advice and weather forecasts

For advice on preparing for floods, protection against them and what to do during and after a flood, please see our emergency planning pages

The Met Office posts weather information for Surrey including severe weather warnings.