Calm, practical preparedness for 72 hours. Based on official civil-protection advice.

How to prepare for a flood: before, during and after

Know whether your home is at risk, turn on emergency alerts and keep a grab bag with documents, medicines, a torch, a radio and a power bank ready. When a warning comes, move valuables and people upstairs, switch off power and gas if safe, and never walk or drive through floodwater: 15 cm (6 in) of moving water can knock you over and 30 cm (1 ft) can sweep a car away.

By Richard Wildmark Sousa, EditorPublished 8 min read
In short
Floods are among the most frequent and deadly natural hazards in Europe.
Act on official warnings early; don’t wait to see water.
Go up, not down: never shelter in basements, garages or underground car parks.
After a flood, treat water and food that touched floodwater as contaminated.
Quick answer
Keeps documents dryDry bagPhone, papers, cash.
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Protect doorwaysFlood bagsAbsorb and swell, no sand needed.
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Light in the wetWaterproof head torchHands free.
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Lessons from recent floods

Floods hit Europe every year: the Ahr valley and Belgium in 2021, Storm Boris across central Europe in 2024, and the DANA in Valencia on 29 October 2024, in which more than 220 people died. In Valencia, AEMET had raised its rain warning to red early that morning, but the ES-Alert message reached phones in the province only at 20:11, when many areas were already under water. The lesson for households is simple: know your risk and act on weather warnings yourself, without waiting for the water or for a phone alert.

Before: know your risk and get ready

  • Check flood maps. In England use the GOV.UK flood risk checker; in Spain the national flood mapping (SNCZI); in France Géorisques. Dry riverbeds (ramblas, barrancos) and low streets flood fast.
  • Turn on emergency alerts on your phone (EU-Alert, ES-Alert, FR-Alert, NL-Alert) and follow your weather service: AEMET, Météo-France, the Met Office, DWD.
  • Prepare a grab bag with documents, medicines and the basics: see our bug-out bag vs home kit guide.
  • Keep documents high and dry: originals in a dry bag or waterproof pouch upstairs, copies elsewhere. See emergency cash and documents.
  • Know how to switch off electricity, gas and water at the mains.
  • Clear gutters and drains before the rainy season.
  • Agree a meeting point on higher ground with your household.

When a warning is issued

  1. Follow official instructions on the radio, TV and official accounts.
  2. Move people, pets, documents, medicines and valuables to an upper floor.
  3. Charge phones and power banks; put the grab bag by the door.
  4. Bring in or tie down things outside that water could carry away.
  5. Fit flood bags or boards at doors and airbricks if you have them.
  6. Move the car to higher ground early, not when the water is rising.
  7. Avoid unnecessary journeys; many flood deaths happen in vehicles or on foot in moving water.

During a flood: go up, never down

  • Do not walk, swim or drive through floodwater. Ready.gov: 15 cm (6 in) of moving water can knock you down, and 30 cm (1 ft) can sweep a car away.
  • Never go into basements, garages or underground car parks to save a car or belongings.
  • Go to the highest floor. Use the roof only as a last resort and signal for help.
  • Switch off electricity at the mains if you can do it without standing in water, and use torches rather than candles.
  • Stay off bridges over fast-flowing water.
  • If your car is caught and water rises, get out through the window early and move to higher ground.
  • Call 112 (911 in North America) only for life-threatening emergencies.

After: returning home safely

  • Go back only when authorities say it is safe, and check for structural damage before entering.
  • Don’t touch electrical equipment or switch the power back on until an electrician has checked it if water reached sockets or the fuse box.
  • Wear rubber boots and gloves: floodwater carries sewage and chemicals.
  • Drink bottled water until the tap water is declared safe; boil or treat it if in doubt.
  • Throw away food that touched floodwater, except intact metal tins that you clean and disinfect.
  • Run generators and petrol pumps outdoors only, away from doors and windows, because of carbon monoxide.
  • Photograph damage before cleaning, for insurance.

If sewers are damaged, authorities may ask you not to flush. See emergency toilet and hygiene.

Your flood kit

ProductBest forKey specBuy
Dry bagDocuments, phone and cashRoll-top, waterproofCheck price on Amazon
Flood bagsDoorways and airbricksSwell with waterCheck price on Amazon
Waterproof head torchMoving around in the darkHands freeCheck price on Amazon
Rubber bootsClean-upKnee-highCheck price on Amazon
Submersible pumpPumping out after the floodNeeds powerCheck price on Amazon

We don’t list prices because they change often. Use the button to see the current price on Amazon.

The full list is in our flood kit.

Questions people ask

What should I do when a flood warning is issued?

Follow official instructions. Move people, pets, documents and medicines upstairs, charge phones and power banks, put the grab bag by the door, switch off electricity and gas at the mains if it is safe, and be ready to leave if told to.

Is it safe to drive through floodwater?

No. Ready.gov warns that 30 cm (1 ft) of moving water can sweep a vehicle away, and you can’t see holes, missing manhole covers or debris. Turn around and find another route.

Should I go to the basement or garage during a flood?

Never. Basements, garages, underpasses and underground car parks flood first and fastest. Go to the highest floor, and to the roof only as a last resort if you are trapped.

What goes in a flood kit?

A grab bag with copies of documents in a waterproof pouch, medicines, a waterproof torch, a battery radio, a charged power bank, water and snacks, warm clothes, rubber boots and gloves. See our flood kit.

Can I drink tap water after a flood?

Only when the authorities say it is safe. Use bottled water until then, and throw away food that has been in contact with floodwater.

Keep reading

Sources

  1. Ready.gov (FEMA): Floods
  2. GOV.UK: Prepare for flooding
  3. Spain, Civil Protection: Useful recommendations for floods (in Spanish)
  4. Spain, Ministry for the Ecological Transition: What to do in a flood (in Spanish)
  5. Spain, Ministry of Health: Flood recommendations for the general public (PDF, in Spanish)
  6. American Red Cross: Flood safety
  7. AEMET: Report on the DANA of 29 October 2024 (PDF, in Spanish)
  8. RTVE, Cronología de la DANA: 12 horas hasta que llegó la alerta, 31 October 2024 (in Spanish)