Rain Scare!

Just before the Sicilian Garbers' arrival, we had a deluge of rain over a couple of days.  The ground became saturated, and on the second day of rain, we got worried about the basement.  When the water begins creeping up our yard in the front, it means the sewers are overwhelmed.  That is a pretty good sign that our sump pump may not be able to manage the intake of water--no place for it to be pumped out to.  So we began to get ready for a basement flood just in case.  That means lifting the couches up onto blocks, rolling up the rug, making sure that any box touching the floor is a plastic one, get all electric strips up off the floor, have the water vacs at the ready.

                           

At this point the well of the sump was filled to within a few inches of the top.  Yikes!  And then, a few minutes after this picture, the water was at the lip.

                             

I quickly laid all old towels around the sump hoping to sop up the first bits of run-over.  Hearts beating fast!  We sat down and prayed that, even though it isn't a big thing in the economy of a troubled world, would the rain please let up enough for the water to stay out of the basement.  Literally, thank God, within about 2 minutes the sheets of rain dissipated to a light shower and then stopped.  Nary a drop ran out of the sump, and we could see the water in the yard going down again.  Soon the sump began to manage the water and look like the picture above again.  Sighs and prayers of grateful thanks that we wouldn't be trying to dry out a wet basement just before the Garber Stay-cation began.