Ravensbourne Flooding in Bromley and Shortlands: What to Do

If your home is near the Ravensbourne and water starts coming in, switch the electrics off at the consumer unit if you can reach it without standing in water, move people and valuables upstairs, and do not touch sockets or appliances that are wet. Once it is safe, photograph everything before you clear up, ring your insurer, and have the plumbing and drains checked before you use them again. Before any of that happens, sign up for the free Environment Agency flood warnings on gov.uk, because a few hours’ notice is the difference between a wet floor and a ruined ground floor.

Is the Ravensbourne really a flood risk in Bromley?

It is easy to forget the river is there. The Ravensbourne rises at Caesar’s Well in Keston, near the head of Keston Ponds, runs across Hayes Common and Bromley Common, then heads north beside the A21 under the town. Through the centre it is mostly culverted, which is why most people never see it. It comes back into the open around Church House Gardens and the Glassmill area, then runs on through Shortlands and Beckenham Place Park towards Lewisham and the Thames at Deptford Creek.

Bromley Council’s own flood records show it has a history:

• November 1965: flooding in the Ravensbourne catchment, especially at New Beckenham, Shortlands, Sundridge and Bickley.
• September 1968: widespread river flooding along most channels in the borough, with Bromley itself among the worst hit.
• Summer 2012: localised flooding in Bromley after heavy rain.
• December 2013: 40 houses in Bromley flooded when the Ravensbourne burst its banks.
• February 2014: surface water flooding at Sparrows Den, south-west of Hayes.

The council’s 2025 infrastructure plan says about 1,252 properties in the borough remain at moderate to significant risk of river flooding, mostly along the Ravensbourne and its tributaries. That is under one per cent of homes, but if yours is one of them it is worth an hour of preparation.

How do I find out if my house is at risk?

Check the long-term flood risk for your postcode on gov.uk (“Check your long term flood risk”). It shows river, surface water and groundwater risk separately. In Bromley, surface water from heavy summer storms can be as much of a problem as the river itself, because the culverts and drains can only take so much.

Before a flood: what to set up now

• Sign up for flood warnings. Search “Sign up for flood warnings” on gov.uk. It is free and sends a call, text or email.
• Know your consumer unit and stopcock. In a Shortlands or Hayes 1930s semi the stopcock is often in the downstairs cloakroom or garage; in an older terrace it is usually under the kitchen sink or under the floorboards by the front door.
• Keep a grab bag with medication, phone charger, insurance details and a torch.
• Ask about a non-return valve on your drain if you have ever had water come back up through a downstairs toilet or gully. When the sewers are surcharged, water can come into the house that way even if the river never reaches your door.
• Photograph your rooms now, so you have “before” pictures for any claim.

During a flood: step by step

1. Switch off the electricity at the consumer unit, but only if you can reach it while standing somewhere dry.
2. Turn off the water at the stopcock if you can reach it safely.
3. Move people, pets and medicines upstairs.
4. Carry small valuables, documents and electricals up as well.
5. Do not walk or drive through flood water. Fast water over a road is deeper and stronger than it looks.
6. If there is any risk to life, call 999.
7. If you smell gas, leave the house and call National Gas Emergency on 0800 111 999.
8. Once you are safe, ring your insurer’s claims line and get a claim reference.

After a flood: the plumbing side

Flood water is dirty water. It usually contains sewage, so treat everything it touched as contaminated.

Photograph first, clear second. Insurers want to see the water line on the walls and the damaged contents before anything goes in a skip. Keep a sample of carpet or flooring if you can.

Get the drains checked. If the downstairs toilet or a sink gurgles or backs up after the water goes down, silt or debris may be sitting in your drain. A drain serving only your house, inside your boundary, is yours to clear. Shared drains and the public sewer are Thames Water’s, which manages the public sewers in Bromley.

Get the hot water checked. A cylinder in a flooded cupboard, or an immersion heater whose wiring got wet, must not be switched back on until it has been checked. Any boiler or gas appliance that was under water needs a Gas Safe registered engineer before it is used. We do not work on gas.

Run the cold tap at the kitchen sink for a few minutes once the supply is back, to flush the pipe.

Dry out slowly. Floors and walls in Bromley’s older houses often hide pipework. A plumber can check for any leaks that were hidden while everything was wet, so you do not find one months later as a second claim.

Who pays for what?

Your buildings insurance usually covers flood damage to the structure and fixed fittings; contents insurance covers your belongings. Read your policy for the excess. If you rent, the landlord’s buildings cover handles the house and your own contents cover handles your belongings. Our insurance help page explains how we write up plumbing work so an insurer can read it.

When you need a plumber after a flood

Call us if water is still coming up through a drain or toilet, if a pipe has been damaged or a joint is leaking, if the cylinder or immersion needs isolating, or if you need a written report for your insurer. We handle insurance claim work in Bromley and blocked drains in Bromley. More on the area is on our Bromley area page.

Need a plumber now?

Call 07868 281022 and tell us your postcode, where the water is coming from, and whether the water and electrics are off. We agree the price with you before any work starts.