Had a similar situation last spring—heavy rain, street turning into a river, and the city’s “emergency” response was basically radio silence. Ended up wading out there myself with a shovel to clear the storm grate because water was creeping toward my garage. Not my favorite way to spend a Saturday, but I’d rather deal with a neighbor’s glare than a flooded basement. Honestly, I wish more folks would take initiative, but I get why people hesitate. There’s always that one person ready to make a fuss about property lines...
Been there, done that—except my “flood gear” was a pair of old sneakers and a garden rake. You’d think the city would at least send someone to check the drains after a storm, but nope. I agree, I’d rather have an awkward chat with the neighbor than shell out for a new water heater. Funny how property lines suddenly matter when there’s water everywhere... but hey, you did what needed doing. Sometimes you just gotta grab the shovel and hope nobody calls the HOA on you.
Funny how a rake and some sneakers become “official flood tools” when the city’s nowhere to be found. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen folks out there, sleeves rolled up, just trying to keep the water from creeping into their basements. You did the right thing, awkward neighbor chat or not. I’ve seen way too many water heaters bite the dust because nobody wanted to step over a property line. Sometimes you just gotta get your hands dirty and hope the HOA’s got bigger things to worry about.
Honestly, I’ve seen more neighbors out there with brooms and old tennis shoes than city workers when it floods. It’s wild how fast those drains get blocked up with just a few leaves or trash. Not gonna lie, I’ve had to clear the one in front of my place a couple times—nobody else was gonna do it. I get being worried about stepping on someone else’s property, but at some point you just gotta weigh that against a flooded basement and ruined appliances. HOA can complain all they want, but they’re not the ones mopping up after the mess.
Here’s my quick-and-dirty drain clearing routine (learned after too many soggy socks): 1) Grab a rake or even a stick—whatever’s handy. 2) Scoop away leaves, wrappers, whatever’s blocking the grate. 3) If water’s pooling, I’ll nudge the debris aside with my boot. 4) Stand back and watch it swirl down like a mini-whirlpool. Honestly, it’s weirdly satisfying. Just don’t use your bare hands—trust me, you don’t want to know what’s in there sometimes. And yeah, HOAs might grumble, but I’d rather deal with that than ankle-deep water in my basement.
