If floodwater blocks your path in Singapore, turn back and move to higher ground. If you are driving, avoid the flooded road and take another route. Call 995 if someone needs urgent rescue. Make the call from a safe position and describe exactly where the person is. PUB flood safety tips · SCDF emergency services
PUB issues flood alerts through its Telegram channel and the myENV app. Check the location, time and direction of travel in an alert before setting out. A route may be affected even when the rain has eased where you are. PUB guidance on receiving flood alerts
- Walking → turn back from flooded areas and move to higher ground.
- Driving → use a route that avoids floodwater and follow any road closure or staff directions.
- At home or work → move people away from low areas and avoid electrical equipment if you are wet or standing in water.
On this page · What to Do If You Are Walking · What to Do If You Are Driving · What to Do If Water Reaches Your Building · Where to Check or Report a Flash Flood · A Family Plan for a Disrupted Journey · Frequently Asked Questions
What to Do If You Are Walking
A familiar shortcut can become the most hazardous part of a journey. An underpass, park connector or walkway beside a canal may lead downhill or have a drain or change in surface hidden under the water. Stop before entering. If you see flooding ahead, PUB advises turning back and going to higher ground immediately. Wait there until floodwater subsides and use a route that is safe to travel. PUB guidance for pedestrians
If you are coming home from school
Tell your caregiver where you are waiting and why the usual route is closed to you. Give a name and level or entrance they can find, such as “I’m at the station concourse near the passenger service counter.” Follow staff instructions if that waiting area is affected. If you are still under the school’s supervision, stay with staff and use the school’s collection arrangements.
If you are with a younger child or someone who needs help walking
Decide early whether the person can take the longer route safely. Find an accessible, staffed place to wait when possible and tell your collector which entrance is reachable. A pickup point on the far side of the flooded section is a poor choice even when a car can reach it.
What to Do If You Are Driving
Check PUB alerts before departure and plan around affected roads. An alert can name a particular stretch or direction. Read it before you reach the junction where you can turn away. On the road, follow closures and any directions from officers or staff. If you are collecting a child, confirm the replacement pickup point before continuing. PUB guidance for motorists
If your vehicle stalls
PUB advises against restarting a vehicle that has stalled in rising floodwater. Switch on the hazard lights if you can, call for assistance and move to higher ground if you can do so safely. If you are trapped, someone cannot get out safely, or there is immediate danger, call 995. Give the road, direction of travel, nearest junction or marker and the number of people in the vehicle. Follow the operator’s instructions. PUB guidance for a stalled vehicle · SCDF emergency services
If you booked a taxi or ride-hail pickup
Give your driver a pickup point on a safe, accessible road. If the original entrance is flooded, use the app or operator’s official channel to confirm the change when safe. PUB works with private transport partners to share flood awareness and, in some cases, alerts. Check the official notice if you need to confirm what part of the road is affected. PUB flood resilience partners
What to Do If Water Reaches Your Building
Move people away from low-lying areas. A basement car park, loading bay or shop entrance may have a different risk from the occupied floor above it. Follow the building’s directions and check which exits are still usable. Protecting documents, stock or a vehicle can wait while people need to leave or get to higher ground.
Keep away from electrical hazards
PUB advises against touching switches or appliances when wet or standing in water. If floodwater has reached equipment, keep clear and ask the building manager or a qualified professional about safe inspection. If someone is injured or needs rescue, call 995 from a safe place. PUB guidance for homes and premises
Plan ahead if the property has flooded before
Ask building management who installs flood barriers, where staff direct people when a lower entrance is closed and how residents receive updates. In a household, keep essential medicines and documents where they remain accessible without entering a flooded area. At a shop or tuition centre, decide who accounts for children and who can communicate the revised pickup point.
Where to Check or Report a Flash Flood
Start with PUB Flood Alerts or myENV. Read the affected location and latest update, and cross-check building or transport instructions for access and service changes. To report flooding to PUB, call 1800 2255 782 from a safe location. Use 995 when someone needs urgent rescue. PUB flood alerts · PUB flood reporting contact
A report someone can act on
“Water covers the road by [junction], on the side travelling towards [landmark]. I saw it at [time]. I am now at [safe location].” Say if anybody is in immediate danger. If you cannot see the whole road, describe the part you can verify from safety. You can report a hazard without collecting photos or walking closer.
A Family Plan for a Disrupted Journey
- Pick a staffed waiting place on each regular route and identify an accessible way to reach it.
- Teach students the names of two landmarks, such as the station exit and the school gate.
- Save the school and transport operator contacts. Decide who can confirm the revised pickup.
- Make room for the possibility that the collector and student are on different sides of the closure.
Practise with an ordinary question. “If the underpass is flooded after tuition, where would you wait and what would you tell me?” A student who can name a safe place and send one clear message has a usable plan even if the original journey falls apart.
Frequently Asked Questions
The rain has stopped. Can I use my normal route?
Check current conditions, alerts and any closures. The end of rain at your location does not establish that a flooded stretch elsewhere is passable. Follow local directions.
Can I walk through if someone else just crossed?
Turn back from a flooded area and move to higher ground. Water conditions can change quickly and what you see at the surface may hide a hazard. PUB flood safety tips
Who should collect a child if access changes?
Follow the school or activity provider’s latest collection instructions. Confirm the approved adult, accessible gate and timing. If those instructions change, tell the collector where the new information came from and when it was issued.
Continue With the Singapore Emergency Playbook
- Power Outage in Singapore | What to Do at Home, Who to Call and How to Get Help in a Lift
- Emergency Ready Bag in Singapore | SCDF Checklist and a Family Emergency Plan
- Scammed in Singapore | What to Do After a Bank Transfer, Phishing Link or Malicious App
- School Emergency in Singapore | What Parents and Students Should Do About Pickup, Alerts and the Journey Home
- Emergency Numbers in Singapore | When to Call 995, 999 or Use Emergency SMS
Official guidance checked 8 November 2026.