The Mid-Atlantic is under stormy skies this week and while you are checking your basement for flooding, check your storm drains for clogging.
More than a half inch of rain had fallen by Thursday morning and more was expected. Flood warnings have been issued for creeks and streams.
Debris from the recent wind storms may have collected on the streets and washed into the drains, causing the kinds of serious back-ups that can flood streets and yards.
In addition, there is no reason to let that debris wash into the already-compromised Chesapeake Bay.
I installed a rain garden to catch run-off from my roof and from the yard, but it is not nearly big enough to catch the rain from this event. It is relatively clean water that is leaving the rain garden for the storm drains, but it is still plenty of water.
And the low-lying section of my street collects so much rainwater that you could stock it with trout.