Keep Garage Flooding Down by Clearing the Driveway Drain

Many Florida homes have a channel drain across the driveway or a yard drain in the low corner — and many of them are packed solid with leaves, sand, and mulch. You find out during the first big summer downpour, when the water picks the garage instead.

Keep it flowing

• Pop the grate off (usually just lifts or a couple of screws) and scoop out the debris by hand and with a garden trowel.
• Flush the line with a hose toward the street or swale until it runs clear.
• Note where the drain empties, and keep that outlet clear too — a drain is only as good as its exit.
• Repeat at the start of rainy season and after any storm that drops a lot of debris.

If water still stands in the driveway long after rain, the line may be crushed or the grade wrong — that's a bigger fix, but at least you'll know.