Floor risk zones in London: buying a house in the blue areas on the map?

[Sandrine1982]

As you can see according to this map, many London areas are classified as flood risk areas (dark blue on the map):

flood-map-for-planning.service.gov.uk/confirm-location?easting=538086&northing=190386&placeOrPostcode=e17%204jz

They probably haven't actually been flooded in decades, but should I be worried about buying a house there?
Does it have any implications for insurance? For resale value?

We're looking at houses in Walthamstow and Leyton particularly and we've seem some nice houses in the blue areas on the map.

Am I overthing this problem?

Thanks

Well some of those areas have tiny little streams going through. And some are quite high above sea level so it would have to be some kind of massive kind of natural disaster. I guess some may just have a high water table. But no, in general in London it would not concern me.
Look at sales in the area - if there are a healthy amount of turnover that should put your mind at rest.

Every riverside flat or house in London is classified as a flood risk but they still cost the earth, are highly sought after , and and in quite a few cases, easily over a million pounds. Ian McKellen and Helen Mirren live in riverside east London properties.

Almost everything along the Lea is a flood risk, but most haven’t flooded since they built relief channels in the (I think) 1950s. The government have an insurance scheme called Flood Re that ensures houses in flood risk areas can get appropriate cover. It isn’t particularly expensive.

My road has a blue zone at the top of it. There’s a small stream running parallel to this road, similar area to where you’re talking about buying @Sandrine1982. It came up when we did the survey but were assured by our conveyancer it was a normal thing to come up in this area and unlikely to flood as it hasn’t in almost 100 years. We asked about insurance, it wasn’t necessary.

Read the book 'flood' by Richard Doyle. The film / TV adaptation is rubbish though. 5 years ago the Thames Valley was flooded, and I've seen water levels very high on the banks next to the Thames path in Hammersmith.

It's a question of when really. It might not happen for 100 years. But the maps show the risk.

I've got a house there. Every year I have to call brokers to find insurance, I can't just get an "off the shelf" policy. It's not particularly expensive though, and not a huge hassle. Definitely wouldn't put me off buying.

Thanks a lot everyone, that's very reassuring :)