What Aucklanders need to know about flood zones

Tuesday, 2 June 2026

Damage and destruction from storms and cyclones in the past few years are a reminder of the havoc floods can wreak on life and property. These events underscored the growing risks posed by climate change, which continues to increase the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events in Auckland.

To help Aucklanders better understand and prepare for flood risks, an online tool has been developed to provide vital information about flood-prone areas and practical steps for protection.

Auckland Council’s Flood Viewer tool is a key resource for checking flood risks before buying or renting a property. The aim is that with better awareness and access to reliable information, Flood Viewer can help people avoid financial loss, safety hazards and insurance complications.

Flood Viewer is free and easy to use on mobile, tablet or computer. By entering an address, you can see if a property is in a floodplain or a flood-prone area, if it is susceptible to coastal inundation or is along an overland flow path.

Explanations about each flood hazard are available, and there’s also practical advice on how to prepare for heavy rain and what to do before, during and after a storm.

Nick Brown, Auckland Council’s Head of Intelligence, Healthy Waters & Flood Resilience, said Flood Viewer was designed to make previously hard-to-find information more accessible.

“We wanted to make it easy for people to understand their flood risk. The first step is knowing if you are exposed, then you can think about what action you can take,” he said.

It was vital information for renters, he said. Those buying houses had additional tools to help them make decisions, such as LIMs and property reports, but renters usually didn’t.

“More than 40% of people don’t own the home they live in in Auckland, so we wanted to make sure they had access to good information before they paid their bond and booked the moving trucks.”

Mr Brown said around 14% of land in the Auckland region was within flood plains. “That’s a relatively small amount of land, so we’re lucky in that regard.”

However, it was easy for people to misunderstand flooding risks. One example, he said, was the “1 in 100 year flood” measurement.

People often thought that meant the flood which happens once every 100 years, but it actually meant there was a 1% chance of that flood happening every year.

“So if you’re in your property for 10 years, there’s a 10% chance of that happening. If you live in your house, say 30 years – often the life of a mortgage – that’s a 30% chance.”

He said that some areas, especially those near waterways or in low-lying locations, were more at risk of flooding more regularly, so there might be a 10% chance each year.

“These are things that will happen, it is just a case of when.”

Flood Viewer is full of useful information on how to manage flood risks. For example, if part of your property is on a flow path, it’s important not to block that with a shed or planter box which could redirect water into your home.

You should also ensure driveway access is high enough that water stays on the road, rather than comes down the driveway into your property.

When building or landscaping, keep low areas clear and shape the land to drain water away - your home should sit higher than the surrounding ground.

The information on Flood Viewer, which covers 233 stormwater catchment areas across Auckland, is frequently updated so Mr Brown advises people to regularly check the site as risk can change.

How to navigate Flood Viewer (www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/floodviewer )

● Enter your property address in the search bar at the top of the Flood Viewer page. This will display any flood hazards associated with your location.

● To learn more about what the identified flood hazards mean for the property, visit the ‘types of flooding’ section on the right of the page. Click on each category for an explanation of each risk.

● Click the red ‘get prepared’ button at the top of the page for useful information and resources about what to do before, during and after a storm.

Before you buy or rent, check the flood risk of your property using Auckland Council’s free Flood Viewer tool at aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/floodviewer