What is flooding?

Flooding occurs when water covers usually dry land, lasting from a few hours, to several days.

Heavy or prolonged rainfall, or rapid snow melt, usually causes flooding. Floods can occur year-round, often linked to wet and windy conditions in the winter, and heavier rainfall in the summer due to warmer air. Drought-affected dry ground cannot quickly absorb rainfall, leading to flooding.

Different sources can cause different Types of flooding. In Staffordshire and the Black Country, main rivers and watercourses, surface water highway infrastructure and sewer infrastructure usually cause flooding. Coastal, groundwater, and reservoir flooding do not typically threaten Staffordshire or the Black Country.

Different organisations, or Risk Management Authorities, oversee different types of flooding. To find out more information about these organisations, you should visit the Flood risk roles and responsibilities page.

Photo of a flooded street with fire engines pumping water away

Flooding in Staffordshire and the Black Country

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Staffordshire and the Black Country experienced significant flood incidents in Winter 2000, Summer 2007, and throughout 2012. More recently, in 2020, four major flood events occurred: in February (during Storm Ciara and Storm Dennis), June, and August. These events flooded 300 properties in Dudley, Sandwell, Staffordshire, Walsall, and Wolverhampton, damaging properties, disrupting local businesses and communities, and affecting the wellbeing of residents. 

According to the UK Climate Change Risk Assessment Evidence Report 2021, extreme weather events and flooding are expected to become more common, potentially doubling the number of people living in flood risk areas in the UK.

Preparing for floods and accessing relevant flood risk information is crucial for increasing personal and community resilience to current and future flood challenges. 

Please see the Aware, Informed and Resilient webpages to learn more about your flood risks and how to prepare for, protect against, respond to, and recover from flooding.

To see why building flood resilience is important to the FAIR Project, and how we are helping in communities, please see the What is FAIR? page. 

Photo of a pond with a boat in the middle of it