A work shift, appointment or collection time does not turn flooding into an ordinary traffic delay. During black rain, stay indoors or shelter safely; call 999 with your location if trapped or in immediate danger.
What to have ready
Before you start
Rainstorm, landslip and tropical-cyclone warnings are separate Observatory services. Your neighbourhood can be flooded without the highest territory-wide warning. Black-rain advice is to remain indoors or shelter safely and avoid flooded areas and vulnerable watercourses. TD's Special Traffic News and HKeMobility provide road, transport and service information. A route suggestion or traffic snapshot is not an inspection confirming every part of the journey is safe, and an image cannot establish a safe water depth. Conditions at the destination and on the return journey matter as well.
What to do, step by step
- Before leaving, read the active warnings and issue times. Check conditions around your own street, nearby slopes and watercourses, rather than relying only on a territory-wide icon or a forwarded screenshot.
- Check official TD and operator channels for closures, diversions and ferry or bus changes. Contact the employer, school or appointment provider about the actual obstacle and agree a revised plan where possible.
- Do not walk, cycle or drive through a flooded section. Move to a safe location where possible and follow Police and rescue instructions. If trapped or in danger, call 999 and give precise location information.
- After a warning changes or is cancelled, check road and operator updates again. Confirm the destination can receive you before setting off, and retain the agreed rescheduling message so everyone knows the next action.
Costs, timing, and things to check
Navigation cannot assess a submerged road surface, electrical hazard or moving water. Do not apply an online water-depth rule as permission to enter a flooded section.
Prepare a safe waiting location, emergency contacts and an alternative collection person beforehand. Do not approach a watercourse for a photograph or shorten the route through an exposed area.
A practical example
A parent finds the road to school flooded. They stay in a safe place, tell the school where the child is and why collection is delayed, and check HKeMobility and operator notices. A change from red to amber rain is not clearance for that road. They confirm the route and school arrangements before organising the journey.
Check the actual route, avoid flooded sections and recheck after warnings change.
Official information and enquiries
These are the reference and service entry points for this guide. Check current fees, eligibility, and schedules with the authority. The preparation date is not each source's official update date.