Driest Februrary In Recorded History

3/5/2020 (Permalink)

Leach Canyon flood control overflows in this February 2019 photo documenting the massive floods.

What a difference a year makes. This time last year our area was experiencing its wettest February in more than a century of record keeping per NOAA’s National Center for Environmental Information. Flash forward and it's quite the opposite. California experienced its driest February on record.

What does that mean for our Riverside County communities? It means get prepared.

Through my research, I read of a time when there was a drier than normal January preceding an even drier February. It caused this phenomenon that came to be called the Miracle of March. Sounds like the makings of an Urban Legend and it may be.

The way it was covered is that there was enough rain that March to make up for the whole dry season and keep California out of a drought. That would be a disaster in present times. With our cities built up and the recent fires and rains we have had, heavy rains could bring floods and lots of damage with it.

So what can you do to help prevent damage to your home or office building? Valuepenguine.com has some great suggestions.

• Install check valves on your pipes.Make sure that all pipes entering your house have valves to prevent a flooded sewage system from backing up into your home. Gate valves are preferred over flap valves, since they provide a better seal against flood pressure.  
• Grade your lawn away from the house. If your lawn tilts toward your house, rainwater will pool around your home. Use a heavy soil that contains clay content and sand to adjust the regrade your lawn so that surface runoff empties into a more appropriate place, such as a street gutter.
• Make space between your mulch and siding. Wet mulch can rot your house's siding, which in turn can lead to leaks. Keep a space between your mulch and siding so that the base of your house can completely dry after rainstorms.
• Point your downspouts away from your home. If your gutter runoff is not pointed away from your house, and in an appropriate direction, it will pool at the corners of your house and may eventually create leaks in your basement.

Whether The Miracle of March is real or legend it’s always a good idea to make some changes to protect your home or business when you live in flood prone areas; and should March come and dump more water than our area can handle, trust that your local SERVPRO of Beaumont/Banning will be here to help you recover and make your home or business look “Like it never even happened.”