Yeah, good call on checking with neighbors first. A few years back, we had a similar issue on our street—water pooling everywhere after heavy rain. Turned out the main storm drain was blocked by leaves and debris further down the road. One neighbor tried clearing his own drain, but it didn't help much since the blockage was city-side. Public works came out pretty quick once multiple people called in. Definitely safer than wading into unknown muck yourself...
Yeah, definitely smart to avoid messing around in floodwater yourself. A couple years ago, we had a similar issue—our street turned into a mini lake every time it rained hard. Turns out, the city drains were clogged with leaves and trash from further up the road. We called public works, and they sorted it pretty quickly once they realized multiple houses were affected.
Since then, I've gotten into the habit of regularly checking the drains near my place before heavy storms hit. I just rake away leaves and debris from the surface (nothing too deep or sketchy), and it seems to help keep things flowing better. Also, if you notice neighbors blowing yard waste into the street, maybe gently remind them that stuff ends up clogging drains downstream. Prevention goes a long way, and it's safer for everyone involved...
"Also, if you notice neighbors blowing yard waste into the street, maybe gently remind them that stuff ends up clogging drains downstream."
Good point about talking to neighbors. I recently moved into my first home and had no idea how quickly leaves could pile up and cause issues. After our street flooded once, I started chatting casually with a few neighbors about keeping yard debris out of the gutters. Most were pretty receptive...though one guy still blows grass clippings everywhere. Guess you can't win 'em all, haha.
After our street flooded once, I started chatting casually with a few neighbors about keeping yard debris out of the gutters.
Haha, yeah, there's always that one neighbor who just doesn't get it. I had a similar situation last fall—our street flooded after a heavy rain because leaves had completely blocked the drains. I ended up knee-deep in water, fishing out soggy leaves with a rake...not exactly my idea of weekend fun. But chatting with neighbors really does help, even if you can't convince everyone. At least you're making an effort!
Had something similar happen a couple months ago, except it wasn't leaves—it was someone's recycling bin lid jammed sideways in the drain. Took forever to pry that thing out. Did you ever figure out who's debris caused your clog?