Is Swords in a flood zone?

Parts of Swords are. The OPW has mapped river and coastal flood extents within about 1.5 km of the town centre. A zone covers streets, not the whole town, so the answer for one house depends on where it stands. The report checks the exact Eircode against the 1 in 10, 1 in 100 and 1 in 1000 year extents.

Will a house in Swords be hard to insure against flooding?

Insurers price by postcode and by the OPW record. With 13 recorded events within 2 km, expect questions on the proposal form and possibly a flood exclusion on some streets. Ask the seller for their current policy schedule: if flood is excluded, you will inherit that problem.

What does the paid report add for a house in Swords, Dublin?

It puts the Eircode point against every OPW flood extent, lists recorded floods within 500 m with dates and OPW notes, checks GSI groundwater flood maps and coastal erosion, and ranks the result against the other twenty-eight checks (radon, BER, planning, knotweed, title, sewer and more) for that one address.

Flood risk · Swords, Dublin

Flood risk in Swords: 13 recorded floods and mapped flood zones

The OPW register holds 13 recorded floods within 2 km of the centre of Swords, and the OPW has mapped river and coastal flood extents nearby. What that means for a house here, and how to check the exact address.

recorded flood events within 2 km of the town centre (OPW)

Yes

river flood extent mapped nearby (1 in 100 year, OPW CFRAM)

Yes

coastal flood extent mapped nearby (1 in 200 year)

What the OPW record says about Swords

The Office of Public Works keeps a register of past floods. Within 2 km of the centre of Swords it holds 13 events, the latest in 2008. By source: runoff (4), river (4), low lying land (2), coastal/estuarine waters (2). A recorded event does not mean every street went under. It means an insurer’s model knows the town.

Most recent on file:

August 2008: Ward Swords Co.Dublin August 2008.
November 2002: Pinnock Hill Nov 2002 (runoff).
November 2002: N1 at Roundabout at Fingallions Nov 2002 (river). Already logged as Flood ID 1630 DELETE
November 2002: Ward North Street Swords Nov 2002 (river). Flooding from Ward River catch 164
October 2002: Melrose Park Oct 2002 (river). from surface water ditch

Separately from past events, the OPW flood maps (CFRAM) draw modelled extents for river and coastal flooding near Swords. A house inside the 1 in 100 year river extent, or the 1 in 200 year coastal extent, will usually need a flood-specific conversation with the insurer before you can draw down a mortgage.

What to do before bidding on a house here

Look the exact address up on the OPW map, not the town. Two houses on the same road can sit on opposite sides of an extent line. Ask the seller in writing whether the house or garden has ever flooded and whether a flood claim was made. Ask for the current insurance schedule. If the house is inside an extent, get a quote before going sale agreed: some insurers decline outright, and the bank will not lend without cover.

The free snapshot on this site flags flood for one Eircode in about a minute. The paid report adds the distance to each recorded event, which extents the point falls in, and the GSI groundwater map, all with links to the source so a solicitor can rely on them.

Check one house in Swords

The area tells you the odds. The report tells you about the house.

Enter the Eircode. The free snapshot shows which of the twenty-nine checks flag up. The full report (€24.99, one house, no account) puts the exact Eircode point on the OPW extents, lists every recorded flood within 500 m with dates and notes, and checks groundwater and coastal erosion maps too.

Or read the sample report first: a real house, 16 pages.

Also for Swords

Radon in Swords · Planning applications in Swords · BER ratings in Swords · Flood risk across Dublin

Nearby: Kinsealy, Malahide, Malahide Road, Donabate, Santry, Coolock.

Questions people ask

Is Swords in a flood zone?: Parts of Swords are. The OPW has mapped river and coastal flood extents within about 1.5 km of the town centre. A zone covers streets, not the whole town, so the answer for one house depends on where it stands. The report checks the exact Eircode against the 1 in 10, 1 in 100 and 1 in 1000 year extents.
Will a house in Swords be hard to insure against flooding?: Insurers price by postcode and by the OPW record. With 13 recorded events within 2 km, expect questions on the proposal form and possibly a flood exclusion on some streets. Ask the seller for their current policy schedule: if flood is excluded, you will inherit that problem.
What does the paid report add for a house in Swords, Dublin?: It puts the Eircode point against every OPW flood extent, lists recorded floods within 500 m with dates and OPW notes, checks GSI groundwater flood maps and coastal erosion, and ranks the result against the other twenty-eight checks (radon, BER, planning, knotweed, title, sewer and more) for that one address.

Sources

Area figures, compiled from public records. They describe the town or county, not any one house. The paid report checks the exact Eircode.