The Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES) is the control agency for flooding in Victoria, which means that we are responsible for planning for floods, supporting community preparedness and managing flood response if they do occur.
On this page:
Flood - www
Be prepared
Victoria has a long history of flooding, and is home to many flood-prone communities. Floods cost Victorians more than $460 million every year, and can cause significant damage to homes, businesses and community infrastructure.
The important information below can help you learn more about preparing for floods.
Local Melbourne Flood VideosDo you live in a Melbourne flood hotspot? Watch all the videos or click on the link below to watch your local floodsafe video: |
Find your local flood information |
How can I prepare my home for floods? |
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VICSES has developed local flood guides to explain local flood risks for many flood prone communities and support you to prepare for and respond to flood events. VICSES have also developed Municipal flood emergency plans for emergency management agencies. View the Local Flood Guides MapView Municipal Flood Emergency Plans |
Experience shows that those who plan and prepare for emergencies can reduce the impact of the emergency, and can recover quicker afterwards. How to plan and prepare for floods |
How do flood warning systems work? |
How will floods affect your business? |
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Learn about warnings issued by the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) to tell people about possible flooding Flood warning systems |
Is your business close to a river, creek, major storm drain or in a low-lying area, then you may be at risk. |
Download the VICSES flood resources which will help you before, during and after a flood emergency:
- Floods, storms and landslides after bushfires (PDF 554 KB)
- Sandbag Quick Reference Guide (168 KB)
Bag it, block it, lift it and leave
The BoM have declared that we are now in La Niña and so VICSES are preparing for what could be a very wet spring and summer. Most importantly, we want to help you prepare and stay safe. So we have created a simple and catchy animation to help you and your community prepare for floods. Remember:
- Plan to stay dry, check how high
- Bag it, block it, lift it and leave
Flood Guides and Resources |
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Sandbagging Guide |
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Download the VICSES Sandbagging Guide |
VICSES Community Safety Program for flood |
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The Community Safety program for flood [PDF 7 MB] details how VICSES works with communities and partners, to achieve more aware, informed and prepared communities; supporting them to understand their flood risk and the relevance of taking action before, during and after emergency events. |
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Know what to do - bag it, block it, lift it and leave
See Also:
Short version - https://youtu.be/VFCNvoPfsRs
Extended version – https://youtu.be/Ilmy2Lwv9wY
Know what to do - for kids
La Niña
VICSES is urging Victorians to prepare for wet and wild weather, with the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) confirming that a La Niña system will affect Australia in Spring 2020.
A La Niña is a weather pattern that brings high rainfall, which increases the risk of flash and riverine flooding. These flood events have occurred in 12 out of 18 similar La Niña weather events since 1900 - somewhere around Australia.
You can read more on BOM’s La Niña outlook here.
A press release on how VICSES is preparing for La Niña can be found here.
Learn about hazards
