I never realized how much of a pain clogged drains could be until I watched my recycling bin float down the street last fall... Not my proudest moment. I’ve started poking around the storm drains near my house after big winds, but I’m still a little confused—are we even supposed to clear those ourselves, or is that a city thing? I’d hate to get in trouble for trying to help. Also, does anyone else feel like downspouts are just magnets for squirrels and random junk?
Title: What if your street flooded because drains were clogged?
Had a similar situation last spring—except it was my neighbor’s lawn flamingo that floated away. As for storm drains, it’s a bit of a gray area. Clearing leaves and sticks off the grate is usually fine, but anything deeper or involving tools, best to leave it to city crews. I’ve seen folks get a stern talking-to for lifting the covers. And yeah, downspouts are like squirrel highways... I once found a half-eaten granola bar wedged in mine.
Clearing leaves and sticks off the grate is usually fine, but anything deeper or involving tools, best to leave it to city crews.
That’s pretty much spot on. I’ve seen people try to pry up the covers with crowbars—never ends well. There was a guy down the block who thought he could “help” during a bad rain last year. Ended up dropping his flashlight and almost his phone down the drain. City wasn’t thrilled about fishing that out.
One thing I’d add: even just raking leaves away from the curb before a storm can make a difference. Those grates clog up fast, especially in fall when everyone’s trees are dumping at once. If you’re dealing with water backing up onto your property, check your own downspouts too—sometimes they get blocked by stuff you’d never expect (I pulled out a tennis ball and half a bird’s nest once).
And yeah, those downspouts are like little wildlife highways... had a chipmunk pop out at me mid-cleaning. Nearly dropped my wrench.
You nailed it with the downspout thing—those things are like critter condos. I once found a squirrel stash of acorns in mine, no joke. And yeah, just raking leaves off the curb before a storm can save you a world of headache. Folks get ambitious with tools and end up making it worse or losing stuff down the drain (seen it more than once). Keeping it simple and safe is the way to go. You're doing your neighbors a favor just by clearing the surface junk.
Had a neighbor once try to “snake” a street drain with a coat hanger, ended up losing the whole thing down there. Made the clog worse, and the street turned into a lake after the next rain. Why do people always think more tools means better results? Sometimes just sweeping is all it takes.