Significant floods occur in parts of Australia each year even though it’s a dry continent and often affected by serious drought. These floods can cause extensive damage and, sadly, fatalities. But you can act before, during and after a flood to mitigate the impact on your home and family.
When extreme weather hits, your family’s safety comes first. 
Listen to and follow advice from the SES and local authorities. Contact 000 or your local state emergency service in an emergency.
Look out for weather warnings from Bureau of Meteorology by visiting BoM online or download the app on your phone.
If extreme weather is approaching, follow updates on ABC radio online or download the app on your phone. You can also tune into local radio stations for updates.
Precautions you can take
  • Evaluate your flood risk – find out if your home has ever been flooded, and find out from your local council or state emergency service if you live in a flood-prone area
  • Change your landscaping – trees and shrubs planted around your home can help mitigate erosion, slow down fast-flowing water and divert water away from your home
  • To assist with potential future claims, take photos of your assets
Emergency action plan
Keep yourself and your family safe by ensuring that everyone is familiar with your evacuation plan and knows where first aid and emergency kits are.
  • What role each family member should take in an emergency
  • Where you and your family will go if you have to evacuate
  • A list of emergency contact numbers and key contacts like the SES, 000, local hospital, gas, and electricity
  • How you will contact one another if separated
  • What arrangements you’ll make for your pets to make sure they’re safe with food and water 
  • How and where:
    • you turn off power, gas, and water supplies
    • valuables and important documents are stored
    • your household emergency kit is stored
  • What you’ll do to reduce damage to your home or contents
    • You may want to digitise and store your photos on a cloud service just in case
  • Where you’ll shelter or where to go if you need to self-evacuate
Emergency kit checklist
  • In a flood, there’s a chance you’ll be alone for up to three days – so make sure your emergency kit will sustain you and your household. Prepare for disruption to power and water supplies, unreliable communication methods, injury, and dangerous elements.ed to evacuate.
  • A battery-operated radio with spare batteries
  • A torch with spare batteries, candles, and waterproof matches
  • Three days of non-perishable foods and a can opener
  • 10 litres of bottled water per person
  • A first aid kit and manual with any essential medicines
  • A change of warm clothes for each person and closed-in shoes
  • Blankets or sleeping bags
  • Toilet paper and essential toiletries, including sunscreen and insect repellent
  • Special needs for infants, the aged and people with disabilities
  • Money
  • Important documents (birth and marriage certificates, driver’s licence, passports, insurance policies and photos)
  • Sealable waterproof bags
  • A mobile phone, charging cord, and a charged power bank
  • Extra car and house keys
  • A copy of your household plan
  • Pet supplies
  • A portable cooker (if using gas, remember to have spare canisters or bottles)
  • Cooking and eating utensils
  • Store your kit in an easy-to-reach, dry place
  • Every member of your house should know where the kit is stored
  • Check the contents of your kit at least once a year to make sure items still work and consumables aren’t past their use-by date
    • Batteries, water and non-perishables will perish over time
  • Make sure your power bank is charged and you have downloaded relevant apps, including BoM & ABC radio, onto your phone
  • A battery-powered portable radio and torch will help you stay updated on power restoration and evacuation alerts if the power is cut
  • Gather sentimental, important, and valuable items and documents that you can take with you should you need to evacuate.
What to do when a flood warning is issued
Road closed sign over a flooded road
  • Secure potentially hazardous items that could move around in floodwaters, such as outdoor furniture and fuel tanks
  • Open gates so flood water can flow freely through them
  • Move household and electrical items to a higher place
  • Place furniture on beds and personal items on furniture
  • Roof spaces can be used if they can support the weight of the items placed within
  • Remove wood drawers from built-ins, cabinets, and furniture – wood swells when wet
  • Switch off utilities: electricity, gas, and water – disconnect electrical appliances
  • Empty and leave open fridges and freezers to prevent floatation
  • Install a sewage water backstop or place a strong plastic bag full of sand or earth in the toilet bowl and over drainage holes in the bathroom and laundry to prevent sewage from flowing back into your home
  • Make sure doors and windows are shut tightly – you can seal doors and windows with plywood, plastic, silicon, or duct tape
  • Seal the points around your home where water can get in, such as ventilation holes and basement entry points
  • Place heavy-duty plastic around the base of your home on the outside, tape the plastic to the walls, and place sandbags on the plastic
  • Move your car from rising flood waters if it is safe to do so
What to do during a flood
Road signs submerged on a flooded road
  • Don’t drive into floodwater and avoid driving at night
  • Don’t swim in floodwater
  • Monitor weather forecasts and emergency alerts
  • Carry your mobile phone with you 
What to do after a flood
A father and his children clean up after a flood
  • Avoid fallen power lines and damaged trees
  • Never drive your vehicle through flood water, even if it looks shallow
  • Return home only when authorities indicate that it’s safe
  • Wear rubber boots and rubber or leather gloves
  • Check for gas or water leaks
  • Check with electricity, gas, and water authorities to determine if supply has been interrupted or is safe to be turned on
  • Don’t switch on power and electrical appliances until they’ve been checked and approved for use
  • Clean and disinfect everything that got wet because it may be contaminated by sewage or chemicals in the floodwater
  • When cleaning, wear protective gloves and a mask
  • Don’t eat food that has been in floodwater because it may be contaminated
  • Don’t drink water straight from a tap until authorities declare it safe – until then, boil the water before drinking it
  • Take photos and record all damage in case the photos and records are needed to support insurance claims
image of a man looking at his laptop and a women holding a lock

Once it’s safe to do so, our expert team can assist you in making a claim over the phone or online.

Find out how the claims process works and what’s involved on your end.

72 hour exclusion period may apply. We don’t provide cover for any loss of or damage to your property caused by cyclone, flood, grassfires and bushfires, during the first 72 hours after you first take out or increase the cover under the policy. For full details of conditions and exclusions, refer to the relevant Product Disclosure Statement (PDS). 

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The mental health impacts of extreme weather events can be significant. To help our affected customers and their families during these difficult times we’re offering three free, confidential counselling sessions to help you get back on your feet.

Bookings can be made 24/7 on 1800 955 599. The counselling sessions can be over the phone or face-to-face at over 400 locations across Australia. Simply confirm you are an Allianz customer, distribution partner or family member to book a session.

Allianz acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we live and work across Australia. We pay our respect to First Nations Elders past and present.



Any advice here does not take into account your individual objectives, financial situation or needs. Terms, conditions, limits, and exclusions apply. Before making a decision about this insurance, consider the relevant Product Disclosure Statement (PDS)/Policy Wording and Supplementary PDS (if applicable). Where applicable, the PDS/Policy Wording, Supplementary PDS and Target Market Determination (TMD) for this insurance are available on this website. We do not provide any form of advice if you call us to enquire about or purchase a product.

Allianz Australia Insurance Limited ABN 15 000 122 850 AFS Licence No. 234708 is the insurer of any general insurance products offered, and Allianz Australia Life Insurance Limited ABN 27 076 033 782 AFS Licence No. 296559 is the insurer of any life insurance products offered. Each entity is responsible for any statements and representations made about its products, on this website.