Historic Floods in Fishbourne

Major flood events and the village's relationship with water

Fishbourne's low-lying position on the coastal plain, adjacent to the tidal harbour, means that flooding has been a recurring feature of the village's history. The most significant flood events typically occur when high spring tides coincide with storm surges and heavy rainfall, overwhelming the drainage systems and pushing tidal water onto low-lying land.

The winter floods of 2013-14 affected parts of the Chichester district, with prolonged heavy rainfall saturating the ground and causing surface water flooding across the coastal plain. Fishbourne experienced waterlogging and localised flooding, though the village was less severely affected than some of the lower-lying areas closer to the harbour.

Earlier flood events, including the severe storms of 1987 and the coastal flooding events of the 1950s, also affected the area. The great storm of 1703, which devastated the south coast of England, would have impacted the harbour and its surrounding settlements, though detailed records for Fishbourne itself are limited.

The Environment Agency has invested in flood defences and monitoring in the Chichester Harbour area, and the understanding of flood risk has improved significantly in recent decades. Climate change projections indicate that sea level rise and increased storm intensity will increase the flood risk for the coastal plain over the coming century.

For residents and prospective buyers, understanding the flood history and the current risk assessment is an important part of living in or moving to a harbour-edge village. The Environment Agency's flood map for planning is freely available online.