Check an address against the council mapping available to Poket. You will see separate results for river, creek or storm tide flood mapping and for overland flow, with any gaps clearly explained.
Overland flow is rainwater moving across the ground before it reaches a waterway or drainage system. It can cause inundation and damage, including at homes away from a river. Keeping the outputs separate helps you understand the source of water; it does not mean overland flow is harmless. Brisbane City Council: check your disaster risk - checked 15 October 2026.
Check an address
Enter the full street address and choose the matching property. Include a unit number where relevant. If an address relates to several parcels, confirm the land being checked before relying on the result.
The anonymous check is designed to return results within a temporary private session, without a durable results URL or public property page. See privacy details.
How the check works
- Choose the correct address and confirm the property shown.
- Poket checks the identified land against the council layers it can use for that location.
- Review both outputs. A result may show mapped overlap, an overlap near a boundary, no overlap in the checked layers, or that the check could not be completed.
- Open the council source and report to understand the mapping in context. Ask about drainage, floor levels, access and insurance before making a buying decision.
What your results mean
Read the flood and overland flow outputs separately. Each should identify the council layers checked, the land used for the check, the source dates and any gaps in coverage.
A mapped overlap means the identified land touches or overlaps a council mapping area. It does not establish that water enters the dwelling, how deep it becomes or what an insurer will cover. An address pin alone cannot describe the whole block.
If mapping overlaps the land
Council mapping overlaps the checked land. Review the source map and the council report, then ask a suitable professional what the mapped area means for the home and any work you plan. Check where water may travel, whether living areas or access routes could be affected, and whether more detailed assessment is needed.
If no overlap is found in the checked layers
No overlap was found in the council layers listed for this check. This does not establish that the property cannot flood. Other flood sources, local drainage issues, events outside the mapped scenarios or gaps in the underlying information may still matter.
If coverage is incomplete or unavailable
We cannot complete this part of the check using verified council mapping for this location. This is an information gap. It is not a low-risk result. Use the council link below to investigate directly.
If the result is close to a mapped boundary
The land touches or lies close to a mapping boundary. Differences in map accuracy can affect the result. Confirm the parcel, review the council map and obtain advice before relying on the boundary position.
Coverage varies by council and by water source
Poket does not claim that every South East Queensland address has complete council data. The check displays the council, the layers actually checked and any unavailable sources. A council's online map may provide information that Poket cannot yet reproduce or query.
For Brisbane, the council publishes river awareness mapping, a combined river, creek and storm tide 1% annual chance extent, and a separate overland flow planning overlay. These layers have different purposes and must be read with their source descriptions. Brisbane river layer, combined 1% extent and overland flow planning overlay - checked 15 October 2026.
What to check beyond the map
Walk around the block and look for pooling, water staining, changes in ground level and signs that drainage needs attention. Ask about water ingress and any drainage work, and tell your building inspector what you have noticed. These are prompts for investigation, not proof of a defect or of an effective repair.
Check the surrounding streets as well as the home. A property and its access routes can have different exposure. A council map cannot confirm the condition of private drains, current ground levels or the height of a particular floor.
For Brisbane, obtain a FloodWise Property Report. Council explains that an absent river, creek or storm tide flood-level graph does not remove other risk, including overland flow. The report's overland flow flag and its flood-level graph should be read separately. Checked 15 October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Does no mapped overlap mean the house is flood free?
No. The wording applies only to the listed layers and scenarios. It does not confirm a dry dwelling or complete coverage. Council mapping is a starting point for further checks.
Why are flood and overland flow shown separately?
They identify different water sources and can require different questions about the site. Overland flow can still inundate a property. Moreton Bay's council guidance explains that intense rainfall can concentrate runoff in gullies, roads and surface depressions. City of Moreton Bay: overland flow guidance - checked 15 October 2026.
Can the tool tell me whether water reaches the living room?
A parcel overlap cannot establish that. You may need council flood levels, a floor-level survey or an engineer's assessment. Ask what the available information actually measures.
Is a planning overlay the same as a prediction for the next storm?
No. A planning overlay identifies areas for planning purposes. It is not a live warning. Awareness maps, historic event maps and planning layers can answer different questions. Sunshine Coast Council: planning flood information - checked 15 October 2026.
Can I check an apartment?
Yes, where we can resolve its underlying land. The output describes that land and any common property included in the check. It does not determine exposure at your apartment's floor or in a basement.
Will this tell me my insurance cost?
No. Ask an insurer for a property-specific quote and read the cover and exclusions. This check does not estimate premiums or confirm that cover is available.
Can anyone else open my result?
Poket does not create a public result URL. The anonymous result is returned only within your temporary session. Closing or clearing that session removes the result from the check. You can enter the address again when you need a fresh check.
Check the home in context
After reviewing the mapping, continue to Poket's full free property checks in a private session. Review the source and availability of each check rather than assuming an unavailable result is clear.
Continue through Poket's private address-check entry point. If an existing session cannot be transferred, enter the address again inside the app.
Read how to check Brisbane flood and overland flow mapping, what to check before buying in Queensland and finance and building and pest conditions.
Privacy
The public page explains the tool. The address and result are handled separately in your temporary session, with no durable result link, public property detail page or address in Poket analytics, caches or logs. External council and location services have their own terms; only the information needed to resolve the location is sent to an approved service. No address check is used as a public example.