Landscaping to Prevent Flooding

Flooding is the most common natural disaster around the world, affecting people in every state and country around the world. 80-90% of all natural disasters are floods, droughts, or storms. However, flooding can also occur on a much smaller level, in your yard or home. Learning how to prevent flooding in your yard can help you save hundreds if not thousands of dollars, and many things you can do are simple! If you have a more difficult yard that needs leveling appropriately, you may need more serious intervention and planning. So, how do you use landscaping to prevent flooding? There are many ways to prepare your landscaping to reduce the likelihood of flooding the yard or home. 

Flooding

So, before you can learn how landscaping around a house prevents water damage and other issues, you need to understand flooding. Flooding occurs when the land around your home becomes saturated with water. There are three main ways flooding can happen: 

Too Dry

It’s essential to know how to prevent flooding when the ground is hard and dry. If the land around your house is dry and hardened, the water can pool on top, especially if heavy rain starts quickly. Even if your yard is relatively flat or even partially sloped, you can still end up with a flooded first floor or basement. One thing you can do to prevent your yard from having dry and hardened topsoil is to aerate your lawn every year. This creates space in the property, giving it the ability to absorb water in a much more effective way. It also means the grass will be healthier as it can drink water more effectively. 

Too Wet

If you want the landscaping around a house to prevent water from collecting, it might need to be dried. When water pools around your yard, it invites pests like mosquitoes to breed, causing more issues. If your lawn becomes waterlogged, it’s more likely to flood. 

How to Level a Backyard

When you need to know how to level a backyard, it causes many issues. One of the best things you can do for your lawn if you want the landscaping to prevent flooding is to ensure your property has proper grading to withstand flooding. You could wish your yard to slope away from the house so that rainfall will funnel its way onto the street or other safe areas. However, it can help to know how to level a backyard so that it won’t have puddles or strange means for the water to flow around the lawn. Preparing your property correctly makes a difference in water flow during storms, preventing flooding. You will likely need professional help to grade your yard accurately, and it may take some time to do, but it will be worth it. 

Plant Life

When learning how to prevent flooding, another means is by planting the right plants in your yard. You can plant species that help absorb more water but don’t need regular watering. You could plant a garden that slopes and collects water, planting certain plants that could use more water. This is a great way to beautify your yard. 

Mulch

You should mulch those areas yearly if you have flowerbeds and other yard space not taken up by grass. This doesn’t mean just laying mulch on top of the existing soil. There is a process for laying down mulch that will help it to incorporate into the ground. Then when it rains, the mulch won’t just run off into the yard. The mulch will help the landscaping around your house prevent water from pooling or running into lower levels of the house, as it will help the rain absorb into the soil. Mulch also keeps your plants moist and helps prevent the growth of weeds, so take the time to prepare your flower beds fully.  

Tree Care

Trees are so beneficial to your landscaping and the ecosystem of your yard. They bring shade and clean air. They’re often beautiful as well. Trees also help absorb water and prevent flooding. They also protect the earth below their canopies from erosion. Their root systems help them absorb lots of water in the ground below your yard. However, trees do need maintenance and care to remain healthy and prevent any issues. If you don’t care for your trees, they can cause your yard to become uneven due to their root systems. They can cause other issues with debris, like leaves and fallen branches or twigs. Also, if you have too many trees, it may be harder for your lawn to dry properly after a storm. Take care of the trees in your yard, and you will have a significant part of your landscaping prevent flooding! 

Hiring Landscaping Services

Many of these strategies will help you figure out landscaping to prevent flooding, but it is easier said than done. Hiring professional landscaping services could be just what you need! Luckily, many maintenance tasks can be done once a year or so, then you can enjoy the beautiful landscaping in your yard. Here at Apex Landscaping, we care about your home and landscaping. We want you to feel comfortable and happy. If your yard is flooding, you can’t feel that way! Flooding is stressful and complicated to deal with when it happens. Prepare yourself by creating a lawn filled with landscaping to prevent flooding, and you will see how much of a difference it can make.