How to Prepare Your Lawn for Flooding and Help It Bounce Back

The weather in the U.S. intensifies every year. Right now, a heat wave has sent temperatures soaring across the country while Florida is experiencing a rare flash flood emergency. And it is likely to continue being extreme: according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, there is an 85 percent chance that this hurricane season will have more storms than average and, with that, more rainfall.

If your lawn or garden doesn’t have the best drainage, these increased rainfalls could result in flooding, which could destroy your garden or hurt your yields.

Thankfully, there are plenty of things homeowners can do to prep their lawns and gardens for intense weather, and even some ways you can help them bounce back if the rain has already done its damage.

How to Protect Your Lawn or Garden Before a Storm

• Install a sump pump: A sump pump is a device that moves excess water from your lawn, basement, or other unwanted place to the outside of your home, where it’s easier to manage. 
• Keep storm drains clear: This is especially important before a storm, but it’s good to check that your storm drains are clear regularly. They can get blocked by dirt, leaves, and other debris, which causes water to back up and flood your lawn.
• Plant trees: Trees, shrubs, and other large plants help absorb excess water. Native plants are always your best bet for this.
• Level your lawn: Leveling your lawn means ensuring it has a gentle slope away from your house. Think of how a shower or a sink works—it looks flat, but it’s angled enough that the water naturally falls down the drain. Leveling your lawn is basically the opposite of that but on a much larger scale
• Create Swales: Swales are shallow, vegetated channels that direct runoff water to other areas of the yard, similar to a sump pump.

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How to Help Recover Your Lawn After a Storm Hits

• Clean up silt deposits: After a big rain, you’ll likely have silt or debris left over by floodwaters. You’ll need to clean up all the silt you can so it doesn’t affect the nutrient balance of your garden.
• Aerate your lawn: There are a few different ways to aerate your lawn, but it boils down to putting big holes in the grass, which can improve soil structure, let water penetrate the ground more easily, and reduce runoff. You can do this before or after a big rain.
• Replenish mulch: If your garden has been flooded, there’s a good chance that some of your mulch has been washed away. Replenish it.

No matter how you choose to handle a big flood or other extreme weather conditions, it’s important to remember that gardens can be extremely hardy—as long as you give them a little bit of TLC.