Tools for Home

The best time to prepare for a flood is well before you are threatened with rising water.

• Know your flood risk
• Develop a household emergency plan
• Build or restock your emergency preparedness kit, including a flashlight, batteries, cash, and first aid supplies.
• Familiarize yourself with local emergency plans. Know where to go and how to get there should you need to get to higher ground, the highest level of a building, or to evacuate.
• Connect with your neighbours
• Prepare your home
  • Clean your gutters
  • Maintain perimeter drains and ensure downspouts are away from your residence
  • Consider constructing a rain garden or other landscaping to manage runoff
• Consider buying flood insurance
• Stay tuned to phone alerts, TV, or radio for weather updates, emergency instructions, or evacuation orders

The BC River Forecast Centre is responsible for issuing flood watches and warnings.

Flood Watch

Be aware, conditions are right for flooding to occur

Steps to Take

• Tune in to local TV/radio to receive the latest weather updates and emergency instructions.
• Know where to go. You may need to reach higher ground quickly and on foot.
• Build or restock your emergency preparedness kit. Include a flashlight, batteries, cash, and first aid supplies.

Prepare your home

• Bring in outdoor furniture and move important indoor items to the highest possible floor. This will help protect them from flood damage.
• Disconnect electrical appliances. Do not touch electrical equipment if you are wet or standing in water. You could be electrocuted.
• Park vehicles away from streams and waterways.
• If instructed, turn off your gas and electricity at the main switch or valve. This helps prevent fires and explosions.

Flood Warning

Take Action – Flooding is either happening or will happen shortly.

Steps to Take

• Tune in to local TV/radio to receive the latest weather updates and emergency instructions.
• Move immediately to higher ground or stay on high ground.
• Evacuate if directed.
• Avoid walking or driving through flood waters. Turn Around, Don’t Drown! Just 6 inches of moving water can knock you down and 2 feet of water can sweep your vehicle away.

• Avoid walking or driving through flood waters.
• Just 6 inches of moving water can knock you down, and 2 feet of water can sweep your vehicle away.
• If floodwaters rise around your car but the water is not moving, abandon the car and move to higher ground. Do not leave the car and enter moving water.
• Avoid camping or parking along streams, rivers, and creeks during heavy rainfall. These areas can flood quickly and with little warning.

• Return home only when authorities say it is safe.
• Be aware of areas where floodwaters have receded and watch out for debris. Floodwaters often erode roads and walkways.
• Do not attempt to drive through areas that are still flooded.
• Avoid standing water as it may be electrically charged from underground or downed power lines.
• Photograph damage to your property for insurance purposes.

• Turn Around Don’t Drown! ®
• Emergency Management BC
• BC’s Flood Information For Home Owners and Home Buyers includes information (page 6) on how to build a sandbag dike
• Real-time water level and flow (discharge) data collected at over 1900 hydrometric stations across Canada