As well as being more open and transparent in its operations, the Agency wants to encourage people in flood risk areas to be more aware and to take practical steps to protect themselves and their home or business. The map shows the natural river and coastal floodplains in England and Wales. A floodplain is the natural 'overspill 'area when a river rises above its banks or when high tides or stormy seas cause flooding of low-lying coastal areas. River floodplains are coloured blue. Coastal floodplains are coloured green.
Some areas are at risk of flooding from rivers and the sea.
In this case the colour of the flooding with the greatest extent will be shown. They use the best information available based on computer models , survey data and historical records and will be updated as new information becomes available. It is important to remember that the risk of a flood occurring is there at all times - this year, next year and future years Click here for more information about floodplains and return periods . Flood defences do not completely remove the risk of flooding, but they do reduce the risk. They are built to withstand a flood of a certain magnitude but can be overtopped or fail in extreme weather conditions.