Floods

1. Find out from your local city or district council, or Environment Canterbury, if you are in a flood hazard area and how you will be told if you need to evacuate.
2. Make a plan for where you will go and what you will need to take to evacuate, including what you will do with pets and livestock.
3. Take measures to reduce potential flood damage and make sure your insurance policy covers your property and contents for flood damage.

Stay informed

• The situation can change very quickly during a flood event. Listen out for announcements or warnings on your radio or monitor your local civil defence online channels. 
• To find out about the radio stations, websites and social media channels used by CDEM in your local area, head to your district page.

Prepare your home

Stay out of floodwater

• If you see water rising quickly, do not wait for official warnings, head for higher ground immediately if it is safe to do so.   
• Do not try to walk, swim or drive through floodwaters – the water does not have to be very deep or moving very fast before it can carry you or your car away.   
• Always assume that floodwater is potentially contaminated with animal or human sewage. Ensure hands, clothes and property are thoroughly cleaned after contact with floodwaters.

• Do not delay and follow the instructions of Civil Defence and emergency services. Use safe evacuation routes if provided.
• If you are told to evacuate, follow the evacuation advice. Evacuation advice overrides any COVID-19 Protection Framework requirements, including self-isolation at home. Stay 1 metre away from others not in your bubble, if you can and if it is safe to do so.
• If you have time and it will not delay you leaving, take a grab bag with essential items that you might need. This includes your phone and charger, so you can scan QR codes, your vaccination passport should you have one, a mask or face covering, and any medication and personal support items you need.
• If you are able to, evacuate to friends or family in the first instance.

Returning home

• Only return home if Civil Defence or emergency services have told you it is safe to do so. It may not be safe to return home even when the floodwaters have receded. 
• Don't go sightseeing - stay away from damaged areas. You might hamper rescue operations, cause further damage, or put yourself at risk. 
• Look before you step. After a flood, the ground and floors may be slippery or covered with debris. 

If your property is damaged

• Contact your insurance company as soon as possible. 
• If you rent your property, contact your landlord and your contents insurance company as soon as possible. 
• Take photos of any damage. It will help speed up assessments of your claims. 
• Do not do anything that puts your safety at risk or causes more damage to your property.
• Help others if you can, especially people who may require special assistance. 

Dealing with flood damage around the home

• Throw away food and drinking water that has come into contact with floodwater, including canned goods.  Avoid drinking or preparing food with tap water until you are certain it is not contaminated. Follow any boil water notice instructions from your local city or district council. 
• Clean and dry your house and everything in it. Floodwater can make the air in your home unhealthy because things can get mouldy if they are wet for more than two days, and there may also be germs and bugs in your home after a flood. If there is a lot of mould, you may want to hire professional help to clean up. 
• Protect yourself by wearing a certified respirator, goggles, gloves, long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, and boots or work shoes. Throw away anything that was wet with floodwater and can’t be cleaned. Throw away any wooden spoons, plastic utensils, and baby bottle teats and dummies if they have been covered by floodwater. There is no way to safely clean them. Disinfect metal pans and utensils by boiling them in clean water.