4 Important Ideas To Prevent Flooding in Your Backyard

When winter arrives, it is time to think about flooding. Sadly, the seasons seem to be getting worse, which means the amount of rainfall is getting higher as the year’s pass.

For property owners, this is scary because it is not easy to fight off Mother Nature and hold Her at bay. Just ask the thousands of Americans who have had to deal with hurricanes, storms, and tornadoes in the last decade.

The good news is, there’s no reason to be fearful as a handful of handy tips can make dealing with flooding a lot less painful. Here is what you need to know.

Flooded street and yard

Speak to a Specialist

There is no point in trying to structure your garden or yard if you do not know the first thing about flood prevention. If you are lucky, you will restrict the flow of water. If you are unlucky, you will make things ten times worse.

On the other hand, a landscape design professional should understand how to format the area to make flooding less likely. For example, they might add slopes to level ground. By doing this, the H2O will not gather in one place but will run away from the property instead. Not only do you not have the knowledge, but you do not have the tools, either, so it is quicker and more effective to hire an expert.

Add Mulch to the Soil

A garden is a gift and a curse. For one thing, the grass is soft and permeable enough to absorb the moisture and reduce flooding. However, there is only so much a lawn can take before the soil starts to erode away.

Once this happens, there will not be anything in between the rainfall and your home. To add mulch to the ground is a smart move as it adds structural integrity to the soil. As a result, the grass will continue to soak up the rain, yet the ground will not collapse.

mulched tree after flooding

Build Drainage Areas

The more drainage you have, the less water there will be when a storm hits. A lawn and plants are one thing, yet there is more to drainage areas. For instance, you can swap a paved or concrete driveway for a gravel pit.

Although it does not look as nice, and it is not as smooth on your vehicle, the gravel is semi-permeable, meaning it will absorb more of the rain. Of course, you can connect a manhole cover directly to the sewage pipes if you have the accessibility.

Double Check Your Infrastructure

Just because you installed the right tools last year does not guarantee they will work again twelve months down the line. The key to preventing flooding is not to be lazy. You have not got much leeway when it comes to a big storm. And you must be prepared for the rain!

When you hear about the potential for bad weather, you should double-check everything from the drainage areas and slopes to the soil to ensure they are in good working order. Otherwise, you might be in for a nasty surprise!

When winter arrives, it is time to think about flooding. Sadly, the seasons seem to be getting worse, which means the amount of rainfall is getting higher as the year's pass.

Final Thoughts on Flooding

Hopefully, the impacts of bad weather will be less with these hacks. Remember that an ounce of prevention can stop a world of heartaches and expenses in the future. Call in the experts if you are not sure what to do. This way you know things are done correctly.

Allow time to place mulch in areas that flood easily and if those areas are really bad, consider having the land sloped or built up to prevent more flooding in the future.

Do you have any tips you can share to prevent flooding in the backyard? Place them in the comments below.

1 Comment

  1. Drainage is something we need to work on to route the water away from our cabin.

    We’ve also fought a lot with our driveway! Every Winter!

    I appreciate these tips! Very handy! Thanks foe sharing at the Homestead Blog Hop!

    Blessings!
    Laurie
    Ridge Haven Homestead

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