Flood, water coming in: what to do, step by step
Flooding, heavy rain. 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
- If you can do it safely before the water arrives: switch off the main fuse and the gas valve.
- Move people, pets, medication, documents, your phone and power bank upstairs.
- Follow official updates. If you are told to evacuate, leave immediately.
Then
- Take drinking water, food, a torch and a battery radio upstairs.
- If you are trapped, signal from a window: a light-coloured sheet by day, a torch at night.
- Text your family where you are.
When to call 112
Someone is trapped, the water is rising fast, or someone has been swept away.
What not to do
- Don't walk or drive into moving water. 15 cm of fast water can knock a person over; 30 cm can sweep a car away.
- Don't touch electrical appliances while standing in water or when wet.
- Don't drink flood water or wash dishes in it.
See also
Keep it on your phone
SurvivalZone is a free app for every emergency, with no account and no app store. It works without internet and shows the nearest shelters and help points, local radio, a 72-hour plan and a mountain trip planner.
Other scenarios
- ⚡ Power cut
- 🥶 Cold, no heating
- 🚱 No water or unsafe tap water
- 🎒 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, dangerous infectious disease
- 🧒 A child is missing
Sources
- Polish government safety guide (MON, MSWiA, RCB, 2025)
- BBK guide "Vorsorgen für Krisen und Katastrophen" (Germany)
- IMGW-PIB: weather and flood warnings (Poland)
Official sources are checked automatically every day. Last check: 2026-10-18.
General guidance only; it does not replace the emergency services. If a life is in danger, call 112.