"Also, remember that stormwater runoff can carry bacteria or contaminants from lawns and roads."
Yeah, learned that lesson the hard way once—thought I'd quickly clear some leaves out of the drain in sandals (rookie mistake, I know). Ended up with itchy feet for days. Now I keep a little "storm drain emergency kit": waterproof boots, thick gloves, and a rake. Curious though, anyone have good tips on eco-friendly ways to prevent blockages before storms hit?
Good call on the emergency kit—wish I'd thought of that before my street turned into a mini lake last spring. One thing that's helped around here is planting native shrubs and grasses near drains or along curbs. They naturally catch leaves and debris before they clog things up, plus they're low-maintenance. Mulching leaves instead of raking them into piles also seems to help...less stuff blowing around when the wind picks up. Hope your feet recovered quickly, itchy feet are no joke.
Good points about the native plants—I've been considering something similar for my yard. Mulching definitely helps, but I've also noticed that regularly checking and clearing the drains before heavy rains makes a big difference. Last fall, I started doing quick sweeps around the curb every couple weeks, especially after windy days. It only takes a few minutes and has noticeably cut down on flooding issues. Learned that lesson after my driveway turned into a shallow pond during my first storm here...not fun. Also, investing in waterproof boots was one of my smarter moves since becoming a homeowner—wet socks are the worst.
You're spot on about the waterproof boots—seriously underrated homeowner gear. Learned that the hard way myself after a surprise ankle-deep puddle incident...ugh, soggy socks trauma is real. Good call on the curb sweeps too; it's amazing how much difference a quick cleanup can make. I admit I'm not always consistent with it, but your post might've just nudged me into better habits. Thanks for sharing your experience—makes me feel less alone in my driveway-turned-lake adventures, haha.
Totally relate to the soggy socks trauma—been there more times than I'd like to admit. Last spring, our street drains got clogged up after a storm, and I ended up wading knee-deep just to clear debris out myself. Not exactly how I planned to spend my evening, but it did the trick. Definitely agree on the curb sweeps being underrated; a few minutes here and there can save hours of headache later...lesson learned, haha.
