FloodAware SA Map

FloodAware SA is an online map and information hub that helps people view available flood information for South Australia.

It brings together flood information from a range of sources, including from local councils, the South Australian Government and other non-government organisations*.

You can use FloodAware SA to:

• search for a location
• choose a flood scenario
• see how far modelled floodwater could extend and how deep it could get, where depth information is available
• view River Murray flow scenarios and historical flood extents, where available
• find flood study details and supporting information, where available
• access selected links to related flood, emergency and planning information from this page.

FloodAware SA is a starting point for understanding flood risk. Some decisions may require further advice from your local council, emergency services, a qualified flood professional, a building professional, your insurer or the relevant planning authority.

Flooding is one of South Australia's most damaging natural disasters. Knowing an area's flood history and flood risk can help people make informed decisions and prepare for future flood events.

The FloodAware SA Map helps people view and understand available flood mapping for South Australia in one place.

It is designed to support flood awareness and preparedness by showing modelled flood scenarios where suitable information is available.

The map can help answer questions such as:

• Is flood mapping available for this area?
• Does available flood mapping indicate a potential flood risk for this property or area?
• What type of flood could affect this location?
• How far could floodwater spread in this area?
• How deep could floodwater get in this area, where depth information is available?
• Can I see River Murray flood levels or mAHD information for this location?
• Has a flood study been completed, or is there supporting information for this area?

Start by searching for an address, suburb, council area or place. The map will zoom to that location.

You can then:

• choose a flood scenario
• use the menu to show or hide available information
• view the legend to understand map colours
• click on the map for more information
• view available study details
• switch between scenarios to see how the modelled flood extent or depth changes
• change the basemap
• print or export your current map view.

If flood information does not appear for your location, it does not necessarily mean there is no flood risk. It may mean that:

• the selected flood scenario does not affect that area
• flood mapping is not available for that area
• flood mapping is available, but it has not been shared by the data owner.

FloodAware SA works best in full screen. Use the full-screen map link if the embedded map is too small.

FloodAware SA shows different flood scenarios so users can understand how flooding may change under different conditions.

For many catchments, flood scenarios are shown using Annual Exceedance Probability, or AEP. These are flood likelihood scenarios.

For River Murray areas, flood scenarios are usually shown using river flow rates, such as gigalitres (GL) per day. These are River Murray flow scenarios.

The scenarios available will vary by location because flood studies are prepared at different times, for different purposes and with different outputs.

FloodAware SA currently uses these main scenario groups:

Flood likelihood scenarios

River Murray flood scenarios

• River Murray flow scenarios, measured in GL per day
• historical River Murray flood extents, where available.

FloodAware SA uses plain-English names to help people understand flood likelihood scenarios.

The lifetime chance is based on an 80-year period. It helps show why a flood that sounds unlikely in any single year can still have a meaningful chance of happening during a person’s lifetime.

These scenarios are not predictions for a particular year. They are modelled scenarios used to understand and compare flood risk.

The colours on the map help show how deep floodwater could get under the selected flood scenario, where depth information is available.

The mapped area shows where floodwater could extend under the selected scenario.

Some River Murray layers may also show flood level information. Flood level is different from flood depth. Flood depth shows how deep water may be above the ground. Flood level shows the height of the floodwater surface compared with a reference level, such as the Australian Height Datum, or mAHD.

mAHD information is more technical and can help users compare modelled flood levels with gauges, surveyed ground levels, floor levels or levee levels.

FloodAware SA does not show all flood risk in South Australia. It displays flood information where suitable mapping is available and the data owner has authorised its public release. Data availability and publication arrangements vary across South Australia.

If no flood information appears for your area, it does not necessarily mean there is no flood risk. It may mean:

• the selected flood scenario does not affect that location
• flood mapping is not currently available for that location
• the data owner has not authorised the mapping to be shared through FloodAware SA
• flooding may occur from a source not currently shown on the map
• more detailed or localised flood information may be held by another organisation, such as your local council.

Flooding can occur almost anywhere in South Australia, including from short intense rainfall, local drainage, stormwater systems, creeks, rivers, the River Murray and coastal processes.

If you need planning and development or local, property-specific advice, contact your local council or a suitably qualified professional.

Yes. Where available, use the print or export tool to create a PDF of the current map view.

The PDF will reflect the area and scenarios selected at the time it is created.

A printed or exported map should be used as a point-in-time reference only. Always check FloodAware SA for the most current available mapping and follow emergency warnings during a flood.

The FloodAware SA Map is not a planning and development tool. It does not indicate whether different types of development are permitted, or what development conditions may apply for types of development. Planning decisions are made using planning legislation, the Planning and Design Code and other statutory information sources, which may differ from information displayed in FloodAware SA.

FloodAware SA does not show live flood conditions or emergency warnings.

For more information refer to the General flood information below or Who do I contact if I need more information? 

Flood risk is the combination of:

• the chance of flooding happening
• how deep, fast or widespread floodwater could be
• how exposed people, homes, businesses, roads, infrastructure and services are in the event of a flood
• how vulnerable those people, places and services may be in the event of a flood.

Flooding can happen when water covers land that is normally dry. In South Australia, flooding can come from rivers, creeks, stormwater systems, local drainage, intense rainfall, the River Murray and coastal processes.

Floods can affect people in many ways, including:

• danger to life and safety
• damage to homes, businesses, vehicles and belongings
• loss of access to roads, services and essential supplies
• impacts to farms, crops, livestock and irrigation access
• disruption to power, water, communications and public services
• impacts to mental health and wellbeing
• damage to cultural, social and environmental values.

The impact of a flood depends on a range of factors, including how deep the water is, how fast it is flowing, how quickly it rises, how long it remains, the amount of warning time available, local conditions, and whether people can move away safely.

Never walk, ride or drive through floodwater. Floodwater can be deeper, faster and more dangerous than it looks.

FloodAware SA shows available mapping for selected types of flooding in South Australia.

Depending on the location and available data, the map may show flooding from:

• rivers and creeks
• stormwater and local catchments
• the River Murray
• coastal flooding, where available or linked.

The information shown in FloodAware SA will vary by location. For some areas, the map may show how far floodwater could extend. For other areas, it may also show how deep floodwater could get, River Murray flood levels, historical flood extents, study areas or study details.

FloodAware SA does not show every possible type of flood risk. If no flood information appears for an area, it does not necessarily mean there is no flood risk.

Coastal flooding

Coastal flooding is different from riverine, stormwater and River Murray flooding and may be mapped using different methods and assumptions. For coastal flood mapping refer to the Coastal Flood Mapping Viewer and supporting information to understand what coastal mapping shows and any limitations that may apply.

AEP means Annual Exceedance Probability. It describes the chance of a flood of a particular size being equalled or exceeded in any given year.

For example:

• a 20% AEP flood has a 1 in 5 chance of occurring in any year
• a 10% AEP flood has a 1 in 10 chance of occurring in any year
• a 5% AEP flood has a 1 in 20 chance of occurring in any year
• a 1% AEP flood has a 1 in 100 chance of occurring in any year.

This does not mean a 1% AEP flood will only happen once every 100 years. Floods do not follow a schedule. A 1% AEP flood could happen more than once in a short period, or not happen for many years.

You may see older flood studies or other sources use terms such as “100-year flood” or “Average Recurrence Interval”. FloodAware SA uses AEP and plain-English scenario names where possible because they better describe the likelihood, or chances, of a flood occurring.

Flood maps are created using flood studies and computer models that simulate how water may move across the landscape.

Specialists use information such as:

• rainfall and river flow data
• historical flood records
• ground levels and terrain data
• creek, river and floodplain shape
• roads, bridges, culverts, levees, dams and other structures
• land use, buildings, vegetation and surface roughness
• soil moisture and infiltration assumptions
• downstream water levels, including sea level assumptions where relevant.

Model outputs can include flood extent, depth, flood level and other technical information. FloodAware SA only displays information that is available, suitable for public release and configured for the map.

Where possible, models are checked against historical flood information. This can improve confidence in the model, but it does not mean every future flood will behave exactly like the modelled scenario.

Flood maps are based on the best available information at the time the flood study was prepared. They are useful for understanding flood behaviour and comparing scenarios, but they are not predictions of exactly what will happen in a future flood.

Actual flooding may differ from the map because of:

• rainfall location, intensity and duration
• soil moisture and catchment conditions before the flood
• blockages or changes to drains, bridges, culverts or channels
• levee performance or temporary flood protection works
• changes to land use, buildings, roads or terrain
• changes to river, coastal or downstream water levels
• limitations in the available data or modelling method.

Flood studies are updated over time as new information, methods and data become available. Check the study information in the map to understand the source and date of the data.

FloodAware SA should be used alongside local knowledge, emergency warnings and professional advice where needed.

During severe weather or flooding, always use official emergency information sources.

These include:

• Alert SA
• SA State Emergency Service warnings and incidents
• Bureau of Meteorology warnings, rainfall and river conditions
• DEW River Murray flow reports, where relevant
• local radio and official emergency service social media.

For emergency help in a flood or storm, call the SA State Emergency Service on 132 500.

In a life-threatening emergency, call Triple Zero (000).

Do not rely on one source of emergency information.

FloodAware SA is a flood awareness and preparedness tool. It does not replace the Planning and Design Code or formal planning and development assessment processes, which may differ from the information displayed in FloodAware SA.

If you are buying, developing or building on land that may be affected by flooding, contact your local council, a planning professional or a suitably qualified technical professional.

For more information and advice about planning and development, refer to:

• PlanSA
• the South Australian Property and Planning Atlas (SAPPA)
• the Planning and Design Code
• your local council or the relevant planning authority.

For questions or feedback about FloodAware SA, the flood studies in FloodAware SA, or flood study information please contact the Department for Environment and Water.

River Murray flood mapping is usually based on river flow scenarios rather than local rainfall probability scenarios.

This means River Murray scenarios are described using flow rates, such as gigalitres per day, instead of Annual Exceedance Probability, or AEP.

River Murray flooding can also behave differently from short-duration stormwater, creek or local catchment flooding. River Murray flooding may be widespread, slow moving and long lasting, and impacts can vary depending on local floodplain conditions.

FloodAware SA presents River Murray scenarios separately so users can understand them in the right context.

For more information about how River Murray mapping should be interpreted, see What are the limitations of River Murray flood mapping?

River Murray flood scenarios are shown as flow rates, measured in gigalitres per day.

For example, a 120 GL per day flow scenario shows the areas that may be flooded under that modelled River Murray flow scenario.

FloodAware SA may include River Murray flow scenarios such as:

• 60 GL per day
• 80 GL per day
• 100 GL per day
• 120 GL per day
• 140 GL per day
• 160 GL per day
• 180 GL per day
• 200 GL per day
• 240 GL per day
• 300 GL per day.

These scenarios help show how the mapped flood area, depth and flood levels may change as River Murray flows increase.

The scenarios do not show live flood conditions. During a flood, always use official emergency warnings, River Murray flow reports and advice from relevant authorities.

River Murray flood mapping may show both flood depth and mAHD information.

Flood depth shows how deep floodwater may be above the ground at a location under the selected flow scenario. This is usually the easiest way for most people to understand local flood impact.

mAHD means metres Australian Height Datum. It is a standard way of describing height above a national reference level.

In River Murray mapping, mAHD can be used to show the modelled flood level or water surface elevation. This may be shown through contours, pop-ups or other map information.

Flood depth and mAHD are not the same thing.

Flood depth tells you how deep water may be above the ground. mAHD tells you the modelled height of the floodwater surface relative to the Australian Height Datum.

mAHD information may be useful for comparing modelled flood levels with river gauges, surveyed ground levels, floor levels, levee levels, infrastructure levels or other technical information.

If you need to interpret mAHD for property, infrastructure, design, planning or emergency management purposes, seek advice from a suitably qualified professional or relevant authority.

Historical flood extents show the areas understood to have been affected during a past River Murray flood event, based on available information. 

FloodAware SA may include historical River Murray flood extents such as:

• 1956 historical flood extent
• 2022–23 historical flood extent.

Historical flood extents can help users understand past flood impacts and compare historical events with modelled flow scenarios.

However, every flood is different. Future River Murray floods may vary significantly due to flow conditions, local rainfall, floodplain conditions, levees, infrastructure, operations, blockages, wind, data limitations and other local factors.

Historical flood layers should be used as context only. They are not a guarantee of what will happen in a future flood.

River Murray flood mapping is based on the best available survey data, historical information, hydraulic modelling and hydrological modelling at the time the mapping was prepared.

The mapping is intended to support broad-scale flood awareness, flood risk management, emergency planning and planning discussions. It can help users understand modelled flood behaviour under different River Murray flow scenarios.

It should not be treated as a site-specific flood assessment. Understanding flood risk for an individual site may require additional survey, local information, hydraulic advice, council advice, planning advice or other technical assessment.

What the mapping shows

The mapping shows areas along the River Murray in South Australia that may be flooded under selected River Murray flow scenarios.

Depending on the selected layer and available data, it may show:

• where modelled floodwater may extend
• modelled flood depth
• modelled water surface elevation or mAHD contours
• historical flood extents.

What the mapping does not show

The mapping may not show:

• live flood conditions
• emergency warnings
• inflows from all local watercourses, drains or stormwater systems that feed into the River Murray within South Australia
• future changes to levees, earthworks, roads, tracks or other local infrastructure
• all small local features that may affect water movement
• site-specific property impacts without further local assessment.

Why the mapped flood boundary is not exact

Flooding varies between events. Actual flooding can be influenced by wind, local rainfall, earthworks, blocked culverts or bridges, embankments, levees, vegetation, floodplain conditions and other local factors.

For this reason, the mapped edge of flooding should not be treated as a precise boundary between flood-prone and flood-free land. Land outside the mapped extent may still be inundated in a different or larger flood.

How the scenarios were modelled

The River Murray scenarios are modelled flow scenarios. They do not represent the exact extent of any single past or future flood event.

For some scenarios, the mapping represents the maximum modelled inundation for the selected flow scenario. This helps show the potential extent of flooding for that scenario, but actual flooding may vary.

Model and mapping limitations

The model divides the landscape into small sections and compares modelled water levels with ground height. This can create small inaccuracies where ground levels change quickly, such as near riverbanks, levees or steep local features.

For flow scenarios higher than those recorded historically, the model relies more heavily on projected estimates. As flows increase beyond the historical range, the mapped inundation may become less precise.

Some displayed layers may be processed from model outputs to make them suitable for web mapping. This processing can introduce minor local differences and requires quality checking before publication.

Levees and structures

Levees included in the model were informed by available survey data, model estimates, satellite imagery and information from the 2022–23 River Murray flood.

Some minor adjustments may have been required so the model could function correctly. This may result in small inaccuracies near some levee sections.

The model does not account for future changes to levee heights, levee locations or temporary flood protection works that may occur during a future flood.

Structures such as bridges and culverts may be simplified in the model. As a result, water may appear continuous along a watercourse even where local overtopping or structure behaviour may differ in reality.

Use with other information

River Murray flood mapping should be used together with official warnings, River Murray flow reports, local knowledge, council information and professional advice where required.

During a flood, always follow the advice of emergency services.

FloodAware SA provides public access to available flood mapping and study information. It may also support professionals who use flood information for planning, emergency management, infrastructure, research, insurance, development assessment, flood studies and technical advice.

Professional users may need more detailed information than what is shown in the FloodAware SA map, including:

• technical flood study reports
• PDF flood maps
• spatial data
• model outputs
• metadata
• study limitations
• data custodianship information
• data sharing or licensing information
• stormwater management plans
• flood study guidance.

Where available for public release, some reports or supporting information may be linked through the FloodAware SA Map, study information panel or report tools.

Some information may not be publicly available through the map because of data sharing agreements, licensing, intellectual property, privacy, security, quality, custodianship or publishing readiness.

For more information, visit Flood information for professionals.