Flood Warning Issued for Crichel as Groundwater Levels Remain High in Dorset

Alert Details

The Environment Agency has issued a Flood Warning (Severity Level 2) for groundwater flooding in the Crichel area. This alert, issued by the Wessex office, indicates that high groundwater levels are expected to cause flooding in the region.

Affected Areas

The warning specifically covers areas within the Dorset Council jurisdiction, including:

• Cheetle
• Long Crichel
• Moor Crichel

What You Should Do

Residents in the affected areas are advised to take the following precautions:

• Prepare and deploy property resilience measures.
• Ensure that water pumps are installed, functional, and switched on.
• Consider alternative power sources for pumps in the event of a power outage.
• Be aware that septic tanks and sewer systems may experience inundation.
• Monitor cellars for potential flooding.
• Avoid driving through flooded roads, as road flooding is expected.

Expected Conditions

Groundwater levels in Cranborne Chase are currently falling slowly but remain at a high level. The Rushmore borehole has recorded a level of 133.27m. While the region has experienced a few days of drier weather, additional rainfall is forecast to begin Thursday, February 26, which may cause groundwater levels to rise again through the weekend. High groundwater levels are also expected to exacerbate the impacts of any fluvial (river) flooding in the area.

Timeline

The warning was raised on March 5, 2026. The Environment Agency is closely monitoring the situation and expects to provide an update by 2:00 PM on March 11, 2026, or sooner if conditions change significantly.