Do I Need an Ark?

Joined
Sep 12, 2012
Messages
3,058
Location
Apple Valley, California, USA
My next project will be a boat

The water is already 5" up the gate, and it's supposed to rain for the next three hours.



When people ram their vehicles through the water, the wakes go a foot and a half up the gate.
And a lot of it flies right over the top.





I made those gates about ten years ago, from the last time we had heavy rain...and got flooded.
The house was completely surrounded by water and up to the door sills.

So where did I put those life preservers?
 
Joined
Sep 12, 2012
Messages
3,058
Location
Apple Valley, California, USA
Wow, get your StreetRunner to high ground.... forget the car, that is replaceable!
Hope it goes down.

Brad
Thanks Brad

The rain has finally stopped for now. It is supposed to return at some point but at not such a high amount.
I've been out getting soaked twice, reinforcing the sandbags, and cutting flow paths.
Like I stated earlier, these flood gates are +/- 10 years old. This is this first real test of them. They worked great but I have to sandbag the bottom, due to driveway slopping. And a berm I made had a minor breach, that I didn't get to right away, so my new shop has about two-three inches of water, around most of it. But the floor is about 6-8 inches up of the ground, so no problem.

Anyway, it looks like we escaped any major flooding. But I want to make a new flood gate out of 1.5 x 1.5 this summer.
The wakes are a major reason. They are quite forceful, even under the narrow space, that is left under the gate.

The new gates will be lighter, easier to close and have a drop-down seal that will eliminate or minimize the water coming in under the gate. (No more sandbags)
 
Joined
May 31, 2013
Messages
3,981
Location
South Benfleet, Essex, England, UK
Feast or Famine, Drought or Deluge for you guys it seems Ed'.
Glad you are OK and no major damage has been incurred.
 
Joined
Sep 12, 2012
Messages
3,058
Location
Apple Valley, California, USA
Thanks, everyone for your kind words.

Fortunately, after living here for over 25 years, I've learned a fair amount about mother nature.
During that time we've only had 3 occasions where there was a concern. But I learned quickly.

I've learned:

  • that if the forecast is for .75" or more,... we're going to get flooded.
  • if I don't get those flood gates closed, ...we're going to get flooded.
  • without the flood gates, my neighbor on the left, ... is going to get flooded.
  • that the flood insurance won't cover contents, ... if we get flooded.
  • that after a heavy rain, the water will drain quickly, because of our sandy soil.
  • I can't stop mother nature, but I can control her affect on my home.
  • that because of preparation, this is more of an inconvenience than a tragedy.
* that if I keep saying all the things, "I've learned", about my home getting flooded,
I'll get depressed, and I just stopped taking my meds. 😄
 
Joined
Sep 12, 2012
Messages
3,058
Location
Apple Valley, California, USA
The great flood of 2010

My front yard


Street viewing right

Street viewing left

My front yard

Orange line is the high water line on the outside of my flood panels.
The reason we flooded, is because during the night the flood panel gave way, and all that water came into our yard.

My first attempt at making flood control panels.

My neigbors yard


 
Last edited:
Joined
Sep 12, 2012
Messages
3,058
Location
Apple Valley, California, USA
Pretty grim. Are you near a river or is it just the local soil unable to soak the amount of rain coming down?
Grim? Not really.
I'm better off than all those people that lost their homes due to fire, or the homes that were buried from mudslides, or total communities lost due to fire, or those recently losing their lives, homes, and businesses due to tornadoes. Or maybe living where the murder rate is the highest in the nation, not to mention burglaries, home invasions....need I go on?

Having said all that, I'm feeling very fortunate.

As far as my place.
I live at the bottom of a hill that's maybe 1/2 mile long, @ maybe 5% incline. I get all the runoff from the top of the hill. It flows down the street on our right, and dead-ends at the intersection. The flow then hangs a right for maybe 100-150 feet. The remaining water flows left on its way down the street in front of my place, on down to the flood channel.

If all I had to worry about was the downfall on my property, there wouldn't be an issue. So the amount of rain per hour, (though it's only 1-2 inches), is exacerbated by all the accumulation of water from up the hill. I even had a small flood into my yard from a broken water main, in another area up the hill.

I've learned to live with it and manage it.
 
Top