Atmospheric River be damned... Bring it!

So we're supposed to get dumped on pretty good over the next couple days here in San Diego.

When we poured the patio we put in drains that run out through the curb, and everything's usually hunky dory... if it rains slow and steady they'll take a lot of water out to the street.

But if it dumps too much too fast, my drains are trying to put that water into a 3' wide rushing river along the curb and failing miserably.

This then backs up and becomes a Koi pond on my patio, and water runs in the back door of my garage.

On the other end there's a nasty little swale on my driveway that allows water to backflow up against the front roll-up garage door.

So in a nasty deluge, my garage can get water intrusion from both sides.

Each year when I hear the big one is coming I head down to Fiesta Island on Mission Bay and fill up sandbags to make my little dams.

For those not familiar, Fiesta Island is a little man made sand island with a road that loops around it, and is the only place in San Diego where you can drive/park ON the beach.

It's where I go every month or two to engage and exercise the 4WD, drive around in the sand just to keep everything lubed, and once a year it's where I go back up to a big sand berm, put on some music, break out my little shovel and get to baggin'.

Last night I ended up doing most of it in the dark, but at least there was a pretty sunset.

I chose Zak Brown Band for last night's music to shovel by... He's got some beachy "toes in the sand" beachy kinda' songs... seemed appropriate.

Last year when I was doing this I went a bought the perfect little sandbag sized shovel that makes it way easier than a full size. It now lives in the truck.

I feel bad for the L.A. areas that are so fire scarred, now they're gonna' have mudslides to deal with.

Hopefully my little dams are sufficient. Stay safe everybody in So Cal.





On another note, I switched my NAV view to Satellite... kinda cool.













Inspector... I think I have the only Black Lab on the planet who can't stand getting his paws wet, so he does NOT want those drains backing up!

"Dude, you've got webbed feet, fer fuck's sake!"





Used to soak in... (That''s Margo the day we closed escrow on our "fixer" thinking "WTF have we done?!")





Now it has to drain.

 

We're up in norcal and getting pounded right now. Our parking lot at work started to flood in the back corner. Our lot has very good drainage but it just couldn't keep up, even with a creek on the other side of our building.
I had to move a co workers car because the water was almost to her exhaust tip. Shoes off and pants rolled up. Waded over to the car and moved it. LOL.

 

Well that was awfully nice of you. Chivalry is not dead! (Is she hot?)

Yeah, I think we're supposed to get maybe 2" but I heard one report saying L.A. could get close to 5"... that's gonna' be a mess if they do.

 

Naw, she's older than my mom. Very nice lady though.
I would do this for anyone to be honest. They were just standing around talking about "what do I do?"
I'm very much a quick decision and action type of person.

 

It just kicked off again. This time with 1/2"-3/4" hail/ice.

 

Next storm cell just came through

 

It hasn't hit here in force yet, I think later tonight it'll be coming down... Probably right about the time I have to go to my pool league.

I live up on the hill just above Mission Valley and the San Diego river.

Tomorrow they'll be rescuing the idiots who go around the "Flooding: Road Closed" signs and try to drive across, just like they do EVERY SINGLE TIME it rains hard here.

 

That doesn't mean she's not hot...
Just sayin'..........

 

Idiots in Dallas do this when it flash floods.



The patio looks great..

 

Thank you! We get a lot of enjoyment out of it. It was pretty much an un-usable dust bowl the first two years after buying the house.

I spent a lot of time doing the layout with garden hoses for the curves, plywood on sawhorses for the BBQ island and fire table, then I'd climb up on the roof to see how it looked, come down and make adjustments... Up, down, up, down.

Really happy with how it all turned out... Well, I guess the drainage could be better.

It's pretty a chill spot to hang out though.

Good friends, good music playing, tri-tip on the grill, sitting by the fire with the water feature bubbling behind you, the colored laser lights... It's my happy place.

 

That's sweet, and perfect for San Diego weather. Well mostly I guess. Helluva difference from the pictures above. And looks like it draws a crowd of old hippies

 

That's probably pretty accurate... hippies and surfers.

We're all sober now, but we still got some good stories to tell.

 

People don’t learn. Mission valley area, especially behind fashion valley floods every time it rains and people still drive into it. They did it back in early 80’s too. Nothing changes.

 

Having grown up in a beach town in the 60s and 70s, there's a really blurry line between hippies and surfers.

 

Like when I was in high school, we had freaks and stoners.
I felt they/we were the same thing..

 

Well THAT failed fuckin' miserably. Ugghh...

Got home from my pool league at 11:30 last night tired and just wanted to go to bed... "Oh, better check the rain situation."

Opened the door from house into garage and water everywhere.

Checked the patio and it's deep, probably worse than it's ever been.

I think the grate on the drain in this picture below probably got clogged with all the dog hair, leaves, etc. that washed downstream from the patio, and what water was getting through that just had nowhere to go. It seems like if the water is flowing hard in the street/gutter it creates a back pressure on my drain where it comes through the curb and doesn't let my tributary join the mighty river.



I spent half an hour ankle deep with a pushbroom trying to get the water to go out that gate... I'd push a big wave out, and half of it would come back in... Water's funny like that.

Two big ass fans blowing in the garage now to dry it out.

I live in San Diego... a little rain is like a natural disaster! I guess maybe my "bring it" thread title was a little cocky. Careful what you wish for.

 

At least you’re at the top of the mesa, Ruffin rd-ish, it’ll subside quick. My mom is off Twain, also a hill. They get the canyon run off, but it’s gone quick. I wonder if you can put a check valve under that drain grate.