Heavy Rains

January 8, 2026

We got some very strong, very heavy rains tonight. And while our driveway tends to get flooded when we have a lot of rain… tonight was exceptional.

Not sure if you can see in this photo, but there was a continuous body of water from our driveway to the street. The sidewalk, at multiple points, was covered.

After a bit, when the rain lessened… I took a shovel and rake outside. I tried (unsuccessfully) to locate the sewer grates on our street, with the hopes that I could somehow clear the blockage and help things drain a bit faster/better.

I found a grate to the north of us that was opened, with the sewer grate cover moved to one side. Someone must have beaten me to it, as I saw water just gushing in at a terrific clip.

The next morning, as I was walking by the spot where I saw water draining… I realized it wasn’t because someone removed the drain cover. This sewer grate was actually in the parkway itself, and was still affixed in its proper place.

What I saw was a deep hole that had developed, where the water was rushing in alongside the drain pipe. This was distressing to see, as I imagine the ground near this area would be super unstable and dangerous to walk over.

I ended up filing a request with 311. Hopefully someone comes to look, before anyone gets hurt.