# Spring storm season: a yard drain checklist for DFW > Before DFW spring storms, check gutters, downspout lines, catch basins, channel drains, drain outlets, the grade at the slab and any sump pump. Start here. URL: https://reinirvingdrainagecompany.com/blog/spring-storm-season-yard-drain-checklist/ Blog Spring brings the heaviest rain of the year to Dallas-Fort Worth. An hour with a flashlight and a hose before it starts finds most of the problems that would otherwise show up as water at the slab. May is the wettest month of the year at DFW Airport, averaging 4.78 inches, and spring as a whole brings about 11.3 inches. The area sees close to eleven days a year with an inch or more of rain, and many of them fall between March and June. That makes late winter the right time to check that every drain on the lot is ready. [Rein Irving Drainage Company](https://reinirvingdrainagecompany.com/) put together this checklist so you can do it yourself in an afternoon. ## Why spring is the test Drains rarely fail in a gentle all-day rain. They fail in a burst. NOAA’s Atlas 14 puts Irving’s 2-year storm at 1.77 inches in one hour, and a spring squall line can deliver that. Each inch of rain on 1,000 square feet of roof is about 620 gallons, so in that hour a typical roof sends well over a thousand gallons to a handful of downspouts. Anything clogged, buried or crushed shows up then, usually as water at the slab or a lawn that will not dry. The [roof runoff guide](https://reinirvingdrainagecompany.com/guide/how-much-water-comes-off-a-roof/) has the arithmetic. ## The checklist | What to check | How | What a problem looks like | | --- | --- | --- | | Gutters | Clear leaves and roof grit, especially above downspouts | Water spilling over the gutter edge in rain | | Downspout connections | Look at the adapter where the downspout meets the buried pipe | Water leaking out at the joint, or a disconnected adapter | | Buried downspout lines | Run a hose into each downspout for a few minutes | Water backing up at the downspout instead of leaving at the outlet | | Pop-up emitters | Find each one, clear grass and mulch, press the lid | A lid buried under turf or stuck shut | | Catch basins | Lift the grate, scoop out the sump, run a hose in | Water that rises in the basin instead of draining | | Channel drains | Lift grate sections and clear the sediment box | Grit packed in the channel, slow flow at the outlet | | French drain outlets | Find the outlet and clear it | An outlet buried, crushed or dry when the drain should be running | | Curb outlets | Check the opening at the street curb | Silt or leaves blocking the core | | Grade at the slab | Look along the foundation | Mulch or soil built up above the weep holes, or sloping toward the house | | Sump pump | Lift the lid, pour in water, watch it cycle | A pump that hums but does not empty the basin | ## Gutters and downspouts first Roof water is the largest single source of water at most foundations, and it all passes through the gutters. Leaves from fall that sat through winter have usually broken down into a sludge that settles in buried lines. Clear the gutters, then run a hose into each downspout. If the water does not leave at the outlet within a minute or two, the line needs flushing through its cleanout. See [buried downspout drainage](https://reinirvingdrainagecompany.com/downspout-drainage/) for how these lines are built. ## Grates and basins [Catch basins](https://reinirvingdrainagecompany.com/catch-basins/) and channel drains collect debris by design, which keeps it out of the pipe. The sump at the bottom only holds so much. The guide to [cleaning catch basins](https://reinirvingdrainagecompany.com/guide/do-catch-basins-need-cleaning/) explains what to look for. If a basin still holds water a day after you have cleared it and run a hose in, the outlet line is blocked further down. ## Outlets Every drain on a lot ends at an outlet, and outlets are the easiest part to forget. Mowers, mulch and new sod bury pop-up emitters. Silt settles in curb cores. A French drain outlet hidden under a bed can be crushed by a new edging stone. Walk the lot and find each one. If you do not know where your drains empty, that is worth finding out before a storm, and the guide to [where a French drain drains](https://reinirvingdrainagecompany.com/guide/where-does-a-french-drain-drain/) lists the usual places. ## Grade at the foundation Over a year, mulch is topped up, beds creep higher and soil settles at the slab. On Irving’s expansive clay, a bed that holds water against one wall keeps that side of the soil wetter than the rest. Pull mulch and soil back so the slab edge and weep holes are visible, and make sure the first few feet of ground fall away from the house. The [foundation drainage](https://reinirvingdrainagecompany.com/foundation-drainage/) page explains why it matters. ## Watch the first big storm The most useful inspection is the first heavy rain. If it is safe to do so, step outside with an umbrella and look at where water is going: which downspouts are overflowing, where it crosses the lawn, where it stops. Take photos, and take another set the next morning. Water still standing a day later, or ground that stays soft for several days, points to a drainage problem worth fixing before summer. [Standing water in the yard](https://reinirvingdrainagecompany.com/standing-water-in-yard/) walks through the usual causes. ## When the checklist finds a problem Most of the items above are maintenance a homeowner can handle. A line that will not flush, an outlet that is crushed, or a drain whose ground stays wet even with a clear outlet usually needs [drainage repair](https://reinirvingdrainagecompany.com/drainage-repair/). If you would like someone to look, send a photo through the [estimate request](https://reinirvingdrainagecompany.com/contact/) page. ## Get an estimate Tell us where the water stands and send a photo. After a site visit, you get a written price. [(469) 680-8773](tel:+14696808773) ## Guides - [Do catch basins need cleaning](https://reinirvingdrainagecompany.com/guide/do-catch-basins-need-cleaning/) - [How long a French drain lasts](https://reinirvingdrainagecompany.com/guide/how-long-does-a-french-drain-last/) - [How much water comes off a roof](https://reinirvingdrainagecompany.com/guide/how-much-water-comes-off-a-roof/) ## Found something that does not drain? Send a photo of the outlet or grate and tell us what you saw.