Why a calendar helps

Flood prevention around a house is a collection of small chores that are easy to forget: a gutter cleaned, a window well drain cleared, a downspout extension reattached after the lawn was mowed. None of them takes long, but skipping them all for a year adds up. Assigning each to a month keeps the list manageable.

The calendar below follows the typical Castle Rock pattern of heavy spring snow, a summer thunderstorm peak, and freeze-thaw winters. Adjust it if your home sits on a rural acreage, near a creek, or in a subdivision where the HOA handles some drainage.

Monthly flood-prep tasks

January
Locate your flood and homeowners policy documents and confirm they are stored somewhere other than the basement. Check window well covers after storms.
February
Take a photo and video inventory of the lower level and garage while things are tidy. Save it to cloud storage.
March
After each heavy snow, move drifts and shoveled piles away from the foundation and window wells.
April
Review flood coverage with your agent. A new policy usually needs about a month before it takes effect, so this is the deadline for summer.
May
Clean gutters. Walk swales and remove winter debris. Test the sump pump by filling the pit with a bucket of water.
June
Check downspout extensions and splash blocks. Move valuables and important papers off basement floors onto shelves or upstairs.
July
Keep a wet-vac, squeegee, flashlight, gloves and contractor bags where you can reach them without entering the basement.
August
After every heavy storm, check window wells, the walkout threshold and the garage for water or sediment.
September
Note any spots where water pooled this summer and plan grading or drainage fixes for fall.
October
Make grading corrections before ground freezes. Clean gutters again after leaves drop.
November
Disconnect hoses, check that downspouts will not ice up, and confirm sump discharge lines will not freeze shut.
December
Light month: replace any batteries in water alarms and review the year's notes.

Storm-day quick list

When a severe thunderstorm warning is issued for Castle Rock or nearby:

General information for Castle Rock, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.