LANSING, Mich. — With more rain expected over the next couple of days, FOX 47 wants to make sure you are prepared for any potential flooding. Here are some tips from the city of Lansing Public Service Department.
"Now that we've had some rain, and you're getting more just to kind of take the same preparations you did before. Make sure that downspouts are clear, and your gutters are clear. Otherwise, you're gonna get water against your house," said Andy Kilpatrick, director of public service for the city of Lansing.
Kilpatrick says if you have experienced flooding in your basement or have a basement, you should also check you sump pumps.
And if property owners do get water in their basements, they should clean it up as soon as possible.
"If it's clear water, the property owner can take care of that without an issue. You know, use some rags, a sponge bucket pumps, that type of thing," Kilpatrick said. "If it's something where it's kind of sewage is backing up there, the city will come out and look to make sure the city main is taken care of and would clear that up."
Kilpatrick says now is the time to keep an eye out on what's happening in your basement if you have one. In the future, you should flood-proof areas and direct that water as far away from your house as you can.
"Either having extensions on your, your downspouts, or you can slip the ground away from that you can put in kind of systems that will capture that water, pump that away," Kilpatrick said. "If you're storing valuables there and you know, you might get some some rain there or take measures to clean that up as quickly as that water comes in."
Kilpatrick says you can call 311 or their operations and maintenance number.
Even though we aren't expected to get a tremendous amount of rain, they still expect to get calls.
"In the past day plus, so yesterday and today, we've gotten about 24 for either water or sewage in the basement primarily has just water in the basement. And we've got another, you know, half dozen to a dozen for either catch basins are plugged up on roads, so water can't get in there or other areas where there's water over a road," Kilpatrick said.
If you are driving along a road and you see water over it, unless you know you can drive through it, just go a different way.
And if the water is over a road that is a public roadway, you can all the 311 number too in order to report it. You can also contact your local road authority.
Right now, a portion of Red Cedar Pkwy is Lansing is blocked off due to water on the road. It is planned to be reopened later this week once the water recedes.
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