emergencies
Storm drain flooding outside the house: what to do now
Standing water outside the house during heavy rain usually means the storm drain has blocked. Here's what to do first.
Heavy rain plus a blocked storm drain equals water at your door very fast. Triage first, then call.
In the next 10 minutes
- Move valuables off the floor at ground level — boxes from the garage, electricals from outbuildings.
- Check the gully — the grated drain that collects roof water and surface water near the house. Lift the grate (or sweep leaves off) and look. If it's blocked solid, scoop it out by hand or with a stick.
- Check the nearest manhole. If it's lifting or seeping at the edges, you've got a downstream blockage.
In the next hour
- Sandbags or rolled-up towels at any doorway with water approaching.
- Don't pump water into the foul drain — it's already overwhelmed.
- Photograph the standing water (and any internal damage) for insurance.
Why this happens
- Gullies and soakaways accumulate leaves and silt over years
- Roots in surface-water runs block them
- Crushed crates in modern soakaways under driveways
- A neighbour's downpipe disconnected and discharging onto your property
When to call us
If the flooding is active and water is approaching the house, call now. We carry vacuum kit and jetters that can clear a gully and surcharged run in minutes. We treat surface-water flooding as an emergency, 24/7.
After the immediate crisis, a CCTV survey of the surface-water run will identify any underlying defect so it doesn't keep happening every storm.