Don't be caught out by flooding – prepare your property now

A flooded street in Hurlstone Park, New South Wales, on March 6, 2024.(ABC News: Thomas Melville)

Floods can devastate large areas and it's important to know the risk of flooding at your home. Make sure your property is prepared because floods can happen quickly.

How to prepare your home

Know your risk — Contact the local council and get a flood map and flood plan for your area.
Gather information — Find out what kind of flooding could impact your area: riverine flooding or flash flooding.
Research past events — Ask council if your house has ever been isolated or if evacuation is likely if the area floods.
Make notes — Look for the problem areas in and around your property, identify potential evacuation routes and find out where relief centres are usually located.
Make your home more resilient to flooding.
Check your paperwork — confirm whether insurance will cover flood damage.
Contact the SES on 132 500 or your local council to see if sandbags are available to protect your home.
Decide where things will go — Get ready to move vehicles, outdoor equipment, garbage, chemicals and poisons to higher locations.
Figure out what's realistic — Work out which indoor items should be put in a higher spot.
Think about power outages — Make a plan for the contents of your fridge and freezer.
Check your emergency kit and make plans to keep your pets safe.
Share your plans — Let friends, family and neighbours know what you intend to do.
Know your evacuation plan trigger — Consider the likely impact of flooding on your home if you choose to stay. Can you manage without power, water, gas or internet?
Make your home and garden more resilient to flooding — This ABC Gardening Australia episode outlines the renovations made to one Queensland home and garden in a high-flood-risk area.

For the latest flood information, listen to your local ABC Radio station for advice and warnings. Keep a battery-operated radio and spare batteries in your emergency kit in case there's a power outage and you lose internet. You can find your local station on the ABC Radio frequency finder .

woman bends over to pick something off the ground. Large bed raised on a tall steel frame behind her — Being prepared to move belongings to a safe height is important.(ABC Riverina: Shannon Corvo)

Preparing if you're vulnerable

If you or a family member have a disability or a condition that could make it harder to evacuate quickly during a flood, make sure you have a plan that will make it easy to leave as early as possible.

Things to consider when making your plan:

Find a person who can help prepare your property and evacuate.
Assess your own needs, limitations and capabilities realistically and honestly and make a list of what you will need to pack.
Write down details of any special dietary needs.
Write down names, addresses and phone numbers of your doctors.
Put extra medication, prescription repeats and other medical needs in an accessible spot and tell anyone assisting you where to find them.
Give a copy of your plan to a family member, friend or neighbour who can physically help you, and have your plan and medical supplies readily available to emergency workers.
Keep your mobility devices close by.

Three brown and white houses in a row have white stairs into the front yards. Tinnies are tied up out the front of the houses. — Residents in Rockhampton's flood zone were ready to go in case the nearby Fitzroy River flooded.(ABC News: Isabella Higgins)

Make a plan for your animals

It's important to have a plan for your pets in an emergency. Evacuation centres often don't accept animals, so having options for where your furry and feathered friends can go is essential if you need to leave your home.

If you do become separated from your pet, having vaccination and registration documents along with photos of your pets can help reunite you.

When leaving home with your pet, have a flood relocation kit for your pet including:

food and water
a bowl for each pet
a second collar and lead

For large pets and livestock:

Consider if the land where they are is susceptible to flood.
Plan where they can go during a flood and how they can be moved there.
Move large pets and livestock well before flooding hits.
Ensure all animals are properly registered and tagged.
Check which local services can help with the relocation of livestock.
Make sure you have additional feed for them in case they become stranded.
Only cut fences to allow stock to escape in cases of extreme danger.
Prepare maps of gates, water and potential flood areas on your property for anyone who may move your stock.

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