Environment Agency Issues Flood Alert for Upper River Ems Valley in West Sussex
This alert is no longer in effect.
Environment Agency issued it on April 5, 2026, 4 months ago. Warnings of this kind stay in effect for hours to a few days, so this page is a historical record of what was issued, not a current warning. For conditions where you are right now, check weather.gov (US), weather.gc.ca (Canada), the Met Office (UK), or the Bureau of Meteorology (Australia).
Areazine synthesizes this Environment Agency flood warning directly from Environment Agency's official public data feed. See our methodology for full source attribution and refresh cadence.
High groundwater levels are causing road flooding and cellar impacts in Stoughton and Walderton, with conditions expected to persist through March.
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- Record type
- Flood Alert
- Affected area
- West Sussex, England
- Issued
- April 5, 2026
- Issuing authority
- Environment Agency
Flood notices turn on location and timing. Treat the named area as this record's scope; do not assume nearby counties, parishes, or waterways were included.
Record status: historical. It was issued 4 months ago; use the issuing agency's live warning service for current conditions in West Sussex, England.
Alert Details
The Environment Agency has issued a Flood Alert for groundwater flooding in the upper River Ems Valley. This alert was raised on March 20, 2026, following observations of high groundwater levels at the Compton borehole.
Affected Areas
The alert specifically covers the upper River Ems Valley within the Solent and South Downs area of West Sussex. Specific geographic impacts include:
- Stoughton: Main road and a small number of cellars.
- Walderton: Between Cooks Lane and Barley Mow, and a small number of cellars.
- East Marden: The road leading from East Marden.
- B2146: Areas near Woodlands Lane.
What You Should Do
Residents in the affected areas are advised to take the following actions:
- Exercise caution on flooded roads, specifically in the Stoughton and Walderton areas.
- Ensure that any groundwater pumps are in good working order and operational.
- Monitor local conditions as springs may continue to appear in fields and water may flow across roadways.
Expected Conditions
Groundwater is currently very close to the surface. While levels at the Compton borehole are slowly falling, water is expected to continue appearing in fields and flowing down roads. No rainfall is forecast for the next five days (through Tuesday, March 24, 2026), which should allow groundwater levels to continue their gradual decline. However, groundwater remains high enough to impact a small number of cellars in Stoughton and Walderton.
Timeline
The alert is currently active. While groundwater is expected to fall throughout the remainder of March, the Environment Agency notes that flood impacts may not fully reduce until April. If persistent or exceptional rainfall occurs in late March, these impacts could be prolonged. An update to this message is scheduled to be provided by 18:00 on March 24, 2026.
Original source: Environment Agency Official Notice ↗
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