As we recognize Safety Month, it’s also a good reminder that hurricane season is underway across the Southeast.
Stormwater systems, retention ponds, catch basins, and drainage infrastructure all play a critical role in helping properties handle heavy rainfall and severe weather events. Taking time now to inspect and prepare these systems can help reduce potential issues when storms arrive.
In this video, our team shares a few stormwater considerations property owners and managers should keep in mind as we move through hurricane season.
A little preparation today can make a big difference tomorrow.
Video Transcript
One of the most common questions we get this time of year is “How do we prepare for tropical storms and hurricanes?”
The most important thing in preparing for tropical storms and hurricanes is to make sure that our riser, our outlet structure, is free of debris so that it can function properly. All regulated stormwater devices are designed to handle the impacts of a hundred year flood.
That means the water quality orifice charges first, then the top of the pipe or the overflow that gets fully charged and then once that pipe is fully charged, typically there’s an emergency spillway that carries thousands of gallons of water away from the site via very, very rapid sheet flow. We don’t open valves prior to major rain events because it impacts negatively downstream. It’s simply not practical before a major storm event.
These devices are designed to handle those type of rain events.