We’ve had tons of snow, now it’s going to rain…. A LOT!
We’ve had tons of snow, now it’s going to rain…. A LOT!
This has been one of the coldest, snowiest winters in decades. We have a very deep and compacted amount of snow and we are about to have a major rain event. The good news is if you live in a newer subdivision, the grading has been designed to move water away from your home. Even still there are some concerns in an extreme situation like this that water could back up and cause problems with your drainage system.
So here are a few quick things for you to check to help you avoid problems with your home.
1. Check your downspout leaders. Chances are at least a few of them are full of ice. Use a hammer to knock away as much of the ice from the leader as you can, this will help to quicken the thawing of the downspouts and help to move water away from your home.
2. Check to see there are not snow drifts in your swales that may block the flow of water away from your home. Remember this is a lot of water, not a little bit, that has been forecast. So it is important to make sure it can go where it was designed to go. If you are able to make sure there is a path for water to get into the swale this will help to move it away from your home.
3. If you have a storm drain on your property or on the street in front of you, make sure it has been cleared of snow and ice. If there is an ice build-up on the road, then make sure that you clean it out enough to help the water flow towards the drain.
4. Check your window wells for snow build up. If the window wells are full it is a good idea to remove the snow, (especially frozen snow) that might cause water to accumulate in your window wells which could seep through your basement windows.
These simple steps should help limit the impact of this major rain event on your home.