Fall Flood Prevention
It was a dark and stormy night. Those words aren’t associated this time of year for nothing. Autumn isn’t our wettest season, but it’s certainly not drier than the hotter months we recently left behind. Plus in autumn, we have the addition of lots and lots of beautiful, but potentially dangerous, fallen leaves. So, let’s look into fall flood prevention.
Why Flood Prevention Changes in the Fall
The simple answer is leaves. All of that fall foliage has to go somewhere. Without proper leaf removal and scheduled sweeping, they’re likely to end up in places you’d rather not have them. When the wind blows the leaves around, they tend to gather and clump in walled in places such as the corner of fences and buildings, but also in inlets and dry retention basins.
Photo courtesy of Mitchell McCleary
When the rain comes, the leaves clog these areas and result in flooding. The most dangerous place for this to occur is in inlets and dry retention basins, which cannot do their job if they’re clogged with leaves.
Flood Prevention: Inlets
Sometimes referred to as a drain inlet, drop inlet, curb inlet, and catch basin—Inlets are specially designed drains that collect rainwater. While typical street gutters collect some of the rainwater, inlets are the second line of defense in preventing flooding.
Photo courtesy of Siniz Kim
If not properly maintained and regularly cleaned, inlets will become clogged with leaves and debris and fail to do their job. This results in backups and flooding. Not only is this harmful to the environment, but it’s also harmful to public safety as well. Properly functioning inlets are an essential component to any street or parking lot.
Flood Prevention: Detention Basins
A detention basin is a manmade pond, built in order to manage flooding and storm runoff water. You may have also heard the term retention basin. Retention basins are the same as detention basins, only they are built to retain the water, creating a more permanent pond. Detention basins have an outlet that allows for quicker redistribution of the water. When dry, they are susceptible to leaves clogging this outlet.
Photo courtesy of Aaron Burden
It’s important to do a thorough survey of your roof, gutters, storm drains, and inlets every fall to make sure they are clear and good to go. Dare can do the work for you with our Dare Reports. We’ll survey your property and get everything in tiptop shape for autumn.
Let’s Get Started!
Our team of experts are ready to help you get your gutters, inlets, and detention basins clean and up to standard. Click the link below and get your quote today!
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Feature image courtesy of Robert Zunikoff
