Last night, I awakened several times to rain pounding on the roof. Early this morning, unable to sleep, I went to the basement to check on things. Thankfully, the sump pump still worked well. But the patio drain just outside the back door had become clogged with leaves. I waded into the two-inch deep water in the bottom of the outdoor stairwell and cleared the leaves and muck, which allowed the water to quickly drain.

I felt thankful for a sump pump that works. I could hear it run, sending water from below our home's foundation out, away from the house. I'm also glad we have a battery powered backup for that pump, because sometimes storms knock out electrical power. We didn't have to use it, but it's important that it is there. Some areas near us got five inches of rain overnight. Many roads and basements were flooded.

Our house, again thankfully, is built on a strong foundation. It has a source for electrical power to run the pump and clear out the water, and a backup system in place. But ...