Flooding can develop quickly after intense rain, including where a household has not flooded before. Preparedness is a shared routine: understand surroundings, decide what to do, and keep essentials ready without taking risks.
Know pathways
Identify how water approaches, which rooms are higher, and more than one way out. Consider roads, footpaths, bridges and steep slopes that may become unsafe. Share observations, while treating official alerts as the instruction to follow.
Make a move-first list
Decide who collects children, older people, pets and medicines. Place documents, keys, phones, chargers, cash and prescriptions in a portable waterproof container. Move valuables upward if there is time, but never delay evacuation. Keep shoes, a torch and a small kit near the exit.
When water rises
If told to evacuate, leave promptly by the advised route. Never walk, swim or drive through floodwater; it may hide open drains, sharp debris and electrical hazards. Do not cross a bridge over fast water. If sheltering indoors is advised, move higher and listen for updates; do not enter a roof space.
Afterward
Return only when authorities say it is safe. Floodwater may be contaminated and animals displaced. Keep children away from cleanup. Do not touch wet electrical items or fallen wires; request qualified help.
Preparedness is most useful when it becomes a normal household habit. Review this checklist with the people who share your home, adapt it to your location and abilities, and keep practical supplies where they can be reached. Conditions can change quickly across the islands, so use current official information for decisions about travel, shelter and safety. If a task seems hazardous, pause and seek qualified help rather than improvising. Share updates with household members, check supplies after use, and revisit the plan whenever someone’s needs or contact details change. Keep decisions practical, calm and proportionate to the information available.
Further guidance
An insight from the Development and Resilience Research Monitor (DRRM).