Indiana braces for wet weekend - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

Isaac's path is expected to send a lot of rain our way in the coming days, which could mean flooding in some areas. But the city of Indianapolis is preparing for the drenching ahead of time.

One of the biggest problems on city streets is clogged storm drains.  It's also one of the easiest fixes if you simply go out and unclog the drain or inlet and get rid of all of the debris.  It may seem like a small thing, but just imagine if several of these are clogged on the same street, then that street is bound to flood. 

If we do have flooding, the city wants you to be prepared.  Indianapolis has 4,000 sandbags on hand and will spend the next couple of days filling more sandbags. They are available free of charge for pick up at the Department of Public Works maintenance garage on S. West Street. 

But again, the focus right now is on preventing flooding. "There are about 6,000 miles of drainage facilities across Marion County that are on private property," said Kara Brooks of DPW. "So we're encouraging property owners to go out, check those inlets to see if there's trash and debris in the way, unclog those so that water can flow and you won't have standing water on your street."

City workers will be patrolling streets today looking for clogged storm water drains, and unclogging them.  Obviously, the more help they get from residents, the less chance for flooding on area streets.

Key info:

For the remainder of the week, DPW will fill sandbags for Marion County residents that can be picked up at 1725 S. West Street on Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. DPW may extend the hours, depending on the amount of rainfall. Residents are limited to 25 sandbags per household.

Today, DPW crews will be clearing storm inlets of trash and debris located on public property throughout the city. According to City Code, it is the responsibility of the property owners to clear debris from storm inlets located on private property. Clogged inlets keep water from draining properly and can cause flooding of streets and yards.

DPW crews also are inspecting all flood gates in the county to make sure they are operational and in the correct position to help control potential flood waters.

Home and business owners should:

· Maintain swales and ditches, including roadside ditches, by mowing to 8 inches or less and keeping them free of fill and other debris.

· Work with neighbors to clear brush, debris and other blockages from neighborhood creeks and ditches.

· Keep storm inlet grates clear of debris, trash and leaves.

· Make sure driveway culverts are free of debris, in good repair and set to proper elevation so that water does not back up.

· Call the Mayor's Action Center, 327-4MAC, to report illegal dumping in waterways.

To report drainage problems, residents and business owners should notify Citizens Water at 631-1431.

More information about the city's storm water program.