I’ve seen way too many people try to snake out roots and end up cracking the pipe or pushing the blockage further. Honestly, once you’ve got roots, it’s usually a sign the pipe’s compromised somewhere. I had to dig up a section in my own yard last year—painful, but at least it’s fixed for good. Sometimes DIY just isn’t worth the risk, especially when it comes to drains and flooding.
Title: What if your street flooded because drains were clogged?
You’re not wrong about roots being a red flag. Once they’re in, it’s like an open invitation for more trouble. I’ve seen folks try to “MacGyver” their way out of it with a rented snake, only to end up with a busted pipe and a backyard that looks like a scene from a disaster movie. Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and dig.
But when it comes to street flooding, that’s a whole different headache. If the drains on your street are clogged, it’s usually not something you can fix with a trip to the hardware store and a plunger. Municipal drains get blocked by all sorts of stuff—leaves, trash, even the occasional lost soccer ball (don’t ask how I know). If water’s backing up into your yard or garage, best bet is to call the city or whoever handles public works in your area. They’ve got the big equipment and, more importantly, the insurance.
One thing I will say—if you notice your own gutters or curbside drains are full of debris, it doesn’t hurt to clear them out before a storm. I’m not saying you should be out there with a shovel every weekend, but a quick sweep can save you some grief. Just don’t go poking around in the main sewer lines unless you’re looking for an excuse to buy new shoes.
I get the temptation to DIY everything (guilty as charged), but water has a way of finding every weakness in your plan. Sometimes it’s smarter—and cheaper in the long run—to let the pros handle it. Learned that one the hard way after trying to “temporarily” patch a cracked pipe with duct tape and optimism... didn’t end well.
Anyway, if your street’s underwater, probably time to make some calls and maybe invest in some good rain boots.
Honestly, I get the logic behind calling the city right away, but I think there’s more we can do as homeowners before it gets to that point. I’ve seen a lot of folks just wait for public works to show up, but sometimes that takes days—especially if there’s a big storm and everyone’s calling at once. Meanwhile, water’s creeping up the driveway.
I’m not saying go full DIY on the main lines (that’s a mess waiting to happen), but I do think there’s value in being proactive. Clearing out curbside debris, sure, but also checking the storm grates near your house before heavy rain. I’ve used a rake to pull leaves and trash off the top of the grate more than once. It’s not glamorous, but it can make a difference, at least in the short term. Sometimes it’s just a layer of leaves blocking the flow, and moving that can buy you a few hours or even prevent a flood altogether.
I’d also argue that if you’re seeing repeat flooding, it’s worth documenting it—photos, dates, how high the water gets. Cities tend to respond faster when there’s a paper trail, and it helps if you can show it’s not just a one-off. I’ve had neighbors pool together to push for better maintenance or even upgrades to the drainage system. It took a while, but eventually the city replaced some old pipes and it’s been way better since.
I get the temptation to just wait for the pros, but sometimes a little effort on our end can keep things manageable. And yeah, rain boots are a must... but I’d rather not need them if I can help it.
Definitely agree that waiting for the city isn’t always practical, especially during big storms. A few years back, we had a stretch where leaves would pile up fast and block the curb drain right outside my place. I started just grabbing a snow shovel and clearing it when I saw water pooling—it’s not glamorous, but it stopped the water from creeping up my walkway more than once.
- Quick clean-up of debris is usually enough to keep things flowing, at least for a few hours.
- I started keeping a log of flood events—photos, times, even rough water depth. When we finally showed city staff all that, they actually bumped our area up for maintenance.
- I’ve also noticed that encouraging neighbors to use less fertilizer and mulch helps—less runoff clogging drains with organic gunk.
It’s not foolproof, but those small steps have made a difference here. Still wish the city was faster, but at least it feels like we’re not totally at the mercy of the next downpour.
Yeah, you’re spot on—waiting for the city just isn’t realistic most of the time. I’ve had to clear drains myself after tenants called about water creeping toward the basement steps. Keeping a log is smart, too. City crews seem to move faster when there’s proof. It’s not ideal, but those little things really do help keep bigger headaches away.
