Multi-lingual Advice: When returning to your home after a flood, read this information to protect yourself and your family from possible injury, illness, or disease. This information is in simple, easy to read English. Guidance is given in Arabic, Assyrian, Burmese, Chinese (Simplified), Croatian, Dari, Dinka, Farsi (Persian), Greek, Gujarati, Hazaragi, Italian, Karen, Khmer, Kurdiah, Macedonian, Tamil, Turkish, Vietnamese.
When returning to your home after a flood, read this information to protect yourself and your family from possible injury, illness, or disease.
How to safely return home
Never walk, swim, or drive through flood waters, even if it is shallow. Keep children and pets away until it’s safe to return.
Skin contact with floodwater and mud can cause illness and skin infections.
If you are injured or suffer a cut during your clean up, clean the wound and contact your doctor immediately.
Look out for these things before you enter home:
flooding can cause sewage to enter your home
gas or electricity supply may be damaged
the structure of your house may be damaged
snakes and other animals may take shelter in your house, shed or garden.
avoid stagnant water as mosquitoes breed in it
if there is mould in your house, you must get it cleaned before you move back home.
If you lost power, check the food or medicines in the fridge. You may need to throw them away.
Don’t use a portable generator indoors as they can produce carbon monoxide which can make you very sick.
Floods can contaminate your drinking water. Use bottled water and check with your local council to see when it is safe to use.
Don’t swim in waterways, beaches, or swimming pools as they may be polluted.
Floods can make parts of your house such as pipes, cement sheeting or tiles shift. If you find asbestos, do not disturb the material and contact your local council.
If your wastewater system has been affected, reduce your water use and contact a plumber.
Look after yourself
It is normal to experience a lot of emotions, take a moment to look after yourself and reach out to your loved ones for support.
If you are feeling overwhelmed, you can call Mental Health and Wellbeing Hubs for free support on 1300 375 330.
If you are concerned about your health, see your GP. Call 000 in an emergency. If you are unable to call, you should travel to your closest hospital.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.
Get financial support
If your home has been affected by flooding, you may be eligible for a one-off emergency payment. For more information visit https://emergencypayments.dffh.vic.gov.au
