City Asks Residents to Prevent Street Flooding

Heavy rain is expected in North Baltimore tonight and the Department of Public Works (DPW) is asking city residents to take action to avoid street flooding.

The DPW asks residents take the following steps:

• Clean trash from storm drain inlets. Baltimore City has more than 52,000 such inlets, and keeping them clear of trash and debris is crucial in preventing localized flooding.

• Sweep along your sidewalks, curbs, gutters and alleys to keep trash from entering or blocking the storm drain.

• Secure your trash cans so material does not blow around during the storm.

•  Avoid parking on top of storm drains. Your vehicle’s tires can hinder runoff.

• Report blocked storm drains that you cannot clear now to 311 so that DPW crews can address them. Teams from DPW are currently cleaning drains in advance of the storm. 

• Monitor the storm on local TV and radio and listen for updates from Baltimore’s Office of Emergency Management.

The National Weather Service is prediciting heavy rain sweeping into the area tonight and continuing throughout the day Thursday. As much as five inches could fall during that time.