Flash flood and heavy rain: what to do (streets, basement, car)
⏱ 2 min read
Torrential rain, flooded streets and basements. Below: what to do right away, what next, when to call 112 and what to avoid. The same instructions are in the free SurvivalZone.app and work without internet.
First, right now
- Never drive or walk into floodwater. According to the US National Weather Service, 15 cm of moving water can knock you down and 30 cm can float a car.
- Avoid underpasses, tunnels and basements. Water collects there first.
- If water is coming into your home, turn off power and gas, but only if you can do it standing somewhere dry.
Then
- Move documents, medicines and electronics upstairs. Get your go bag ready.
- Plug drains in the basement and sinks with stoppers or sandbags so sewage can't back up.
- Follow weather warnings and official alerts. Listen to local radio.
- If you can't leave, hang a cloth in the window to signal rescuers. Tell emergency services exactly where you are.
- After the rain, don't use flooded appliances until an electrician has checked them. Only drink tap water once your water company says it's safe.
When to call 112
Water has swept someone or a car away, someone is trapped in a flooded car, basement or home, or electricity is a danger.
What not to do
- Never go into a flooded basement while the power is on.
- Don't let children play in floodwater. It may hide sewage and open manholes.
- Don't ignore an evacuation order to protect your belongings.
See also
Frequently asked questions
Can I drive through a flooded road?
No. Around 30 cm of moving water can float a car. Turn around and find another way.
What do I do if water floods my basement?
Don't go down if the power is on. Cut the power from somewhere dry, move things up and plug drains so sewage can't back up.
How deep does water have to be to knock you down?
According to the US National Weather Service, just 15 cm of fast-moving water can knock an adult off their feet.
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Other scenarios
- ⚡ Power cut
- 🥶 Cold, no heating
- 🚱 No water or unsafe tap water
- 🌊 Flood, water coming in
- 🎒 Evacuation in 10 minutes
- 🔥 Fire in the building
- 🌡️ Heatwave
- ⛈️ Storm, strong wind
- 🚀 Air attack: missiles, drones, bombs
- 📢 Sirens, alarm, air contamination
- 📵 No signal, no internet
- ❤️ Someone is unconscious
- 🌍 Earthquake
- ⛵ Storm at sea, no internet
- 🚗 Road accident
- ☠️ Carbon monoxide or gas leak
- ❄️ Stuck in a car in a snowstorm
- 🌩️ Thunderstorm outdoors
- 🫀 Heart attack or stroke
- 🏊 Someone is drowning
- 🌲 Forest or grass fire
- 💳 Cards and cash machines not working
- 🦠 Epidemic, pandemic, dangerous disease
- 🧒 A child is missing
- 🫁 Choking
- 🩸 Severe bleeding
- 🔥 Burns and scalds
- 😷 Smog and poor air quality
- 🐻 Bear on the trail
- 🐗 Wild boar encounter
- 🏢 Fire at work: evacuation
- 🌪️ Tornado
- ☣️ Chemical incident
- 🏠 Quarantine at home
- 🛡️ Cyberattack
- 🔌 No power in your home
- 💨 You smell gas
- 😵💫 Someone faints
- 🏫 Alarm or evacuation at your child's school
- 🏜️ Drought and water restrictions
- 🌋 Volcanic eruption and ashfall
- 🛴 E-scooter accident
- 🛑 Attacker at school or in a building
- 🔔 An alarm goes off: home, flats, work
- ☢️ Nuclear attack and radioactive contamination
- 🧫 Suspicious package, powder, biological threat
- 💣 Bomb threat, suspicious item, explosion
- 💰 Robbery: shop, bank, street
- 💚 Suicidal thoughts: how to help yourself or someone else
- 🌲 Lost in the forest: how to survive
Sources
- US National Weather Service: Turn Around Don’t Drown
- Polish government Safety Handbook 2025 (PDF, Polish): floods, p. 32
- Polish Government Centre for Security: what to do in a flood
- IMGW-PIB: weather and flood warnings (Poland)
- BBK (Germany): floods
- German Weather Service (DWD): weather warnings
Official sources are checked automatically every day. Last check: 2026-11-04.
General guidance only; it does not replace the emergency services. If a life is in danger, call 112.