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Drainage & Sewer
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Emergency Weather Tips
Tips to Prevent Flooding
Remove leaves
- • Keeping drains clear of leaves and other debris is the best way to protect your property. Use a rake or a broom, if it can be done safely.
- • Completely remove leaves and debris from storm drains so they will not come back during the next storm.
- • Add leaves to your yard waste container if you are a yard waste service subscriber. If you are not a yard waste subscriber, you may call 206-684-3000 to subscribe.
- • Compost leaves at home and use them for fertilizer or mulch.
- • Adopt a drain. Talk to your neighbors and homeowners association about adopting the storm drains near their homes.
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Maintain gutters and downspouts
- • Clean your gutters and the drainage downspouts attached to your roof twice a year. Just one wind or rainstorm can clog a well-flowing drainage system.
- • Direct flows from downspouts away from your home, without discharging flows to adjacent properties.
- • Never discharge water over the side of a steep hill.
Maintain your drainage systems
- • Check your home's drainage system. Maintaining the drainage system on private property is the owner's responsibility.
- • If you live at the base of a hill or on a cliff, ensure that drainage and retaining walls are in good shape.
- • Preventative planting can also help reduce the chance of a mud slide or flooding.
- • Don't put grass clippings, leaves or other debris into the drains, ditches, creeks, culverts, gutters or ravines.
- • It is against the law to dump any material into the drainage system. To report illegal dumping, call 206-684-7587.
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Assess your yard
- • Make sure the ground slopes away from your home. The area within 10 feet of your home should slope away from your house.
- • Call a tree trimmer to inspect your trees and identify any hidden diseases or weak branches that could fall in high winds.
Inspect your roof. Inspect for leaks or damage to rain gutters that could cause a flat roof to flood.
Know where your shut offs are. If flooding occurs, you’ll need to know how to shut off electricity, gas and water at main switches and valves.
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Related links
Yard Waste Collection
Composting
Links to other sites
Seattle Department of Transportation Emergency Weather TIps
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