One minute, you're peeking out your window or (safely, please!) sitting in your garage watching a summer thunderstorm roll in. The next minute, you’re watching water rush down the street, seeing storm drains clog, and hearing your basement sump pump work overtime.
That's flash flooding, and it can develop even faster than you expect. The rainfall totals on your block can be dramatically different from those of your neighbors even just a few miles away.
Late summer is a particularly important time to pay attention to any rain-producing storm. Across the Southeast, tropical moisture can fuel rounds of torrential rain. In the Southwest, summer monsoon storms can dump intense rainfall over areas that may otherwise be dry. When storms repeatedly move over the same location, the ground and drainage systems can quickly become overwhelmed.
The good news? You don't have to rely solely on a regional forecast to understand what's happening at your home. AcuRite weather stations and digital rain gauges give you hyperlocal rainfall data, helping you see how much rain fell right in your own backyard. Plus, a Smart Water Leak Detector can provide an additional layer of protection inside your home.
Why Late-Summer Rain Can Become a Flash-Flood Threat
Not every heavy rainstorm produces flooding, and the flood risk depends on much more than the daily forecast. For example, soil saturation, terrain, drainage, rainfall intensity, and the speed at which storms move all play a role in flood risk. A slow-moving thunderstorm can drop several inches of rain over a small area, and multiple storms can also repeatedly track over the same location, which adds rainfall faster than the ground’s able to absorb it.
Tropical weather systems can make the situation even more complicated! Moisture from a tropical storm or hurricane (in the Southeast U.S.) can produce prolonged periods of heavy rain well beyond the immediate coastline. In the Southwest, monsoon thunderstorms create a different challenge. Dry ground in those desert-like states may initially struggle to absorb intense rainfall, and normally dry washes, arroyos, and other low-lying areas can fill rapidly.
No matter the region, the result is the same: conditions often change quickly, and your backyard may be experiencing something very different from the weather happening across town. Measuring your own rainfall becomes valuable to help determine your localized flash flooding threat.
Your Backyard Has Its Own Weather Story
Your favorite weather app may tell you that rain is expected in your area, but how much rain is falling at your house? Obtaining the answer to that question is much more useful if you're concerned about a flooded basement.
When you have a personal weather station in your backyard, it measuress conditions directly at your property and wirelessly relays the measurements to a display in your home. This hyperlocal information provides a running record of what’s actually happening outside your location, which, obviously, a generalized forecast from a weather app can’t do.
Many AcuRite weather stations come equipped with self-emptying rain gauges that track rainfall totals. Plus, they measure temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, and barometric pressure to provide a personalized, 12-hour future forecast.
- The AcuRite Iris Weather Station provides real-time, hyperlocal weather information, including rainfall measurements, and connected models allow you to monitor conditions through the AcuRite NOW app.
- The AcuRite Atlas Weather Station takes that approach even further, combining multiple weather sensors for core weather knowledge, UV index and light intensity readings, complete rainfall monitoring, and optional lightning detection to get early warning to storms.
- The AcuRite Optimus Weather Station provides the ultimate at-home weather monitoring experience with its sleek outdoor sensor, included rainfall measurements, lightning detection, and an HD indoor display.
How to Measure Rainfall Before Flooding Becomes a Problem
The usefulness of measuring rainfall goes beyond simply knowing when to water your garden. During an intense storm, how much rain you’ve received can become an important piece of your severe weather preparedness strategy.
A digital rain gauge collects rainwater outside, measures precipitation, and automatically relays the information to a digital display screen inside your home. Most AcuRite digital rain gauges can provide rainfall totals for the current day and previous periods, and certain models even provide customizable rainfall alarms.
When measuring rainfall, it’s vital to pay attention to three things:
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How quickly rain is accumulating.
A small amount of rain spread over several hours is, of course, vastly different from the same amount falling in a short, intense burst. -
How much rain you've already received.
If the ground around your home is already saturated from previous storms, additional heavy rainfall has fewer places to go. -
Whether or not storms are continuing to move toward and over your location.
Repeated rounds of thunderstorms can increase the threat of flooding, even when each individual storm doesn't seem particularly unusual.
Having a digital rain gauge provides objective information you can see and read instead of relying on looking through the window to see how hard the rain is falling!
How to Protect the Most Vulnerable Part of Your Home: Usually, Your Basement
For many homeowners, the first place they worry about during a major rain event is the basement. Whether it’s a finished rec room, useful storage area, or important laundry-doing space, heavy rain doesn’t care. It can overwhelm drainage systems, increase groundwater around foundations, and put additional pressure on sump pumps and other systems designed to keep water out.
This is where rainfall monitoring and water detection can work together in a two-layer approach. Outside, your weather station or digital rain gauge tells you how much rain is falling and how much is accumulating. Inside, a water leak detector can alert you when water is physically felt where it shouldn’t be.
An AcuRite Water Leak Detector with its 3-foot probe can be positioned near potential problem areas, including a basement, foundation, appliances, or a sump pump. AcuRite specifically recommends using a detector near a sump pump to provide an early warning if water rises above its normal level.
Collecting rainfall data helps you understand the risk of flooding, and, conversely, water leak detection helps you identify where the problem is if your basement does indeed begin to flood.
A Simple, Late-Summer Flood-Prep Routine
It’s never too early to be prepared. Before the next major storm, take a few minutes to walk around your property and really check out things closely. Inspect gutters (be careful on the ladder!) and downspouts so water can rightfully move away from your home’s foundation. Check that downspouts discharge away from the house properly. See if you can find any areas where water tends to pool and collect.
If you have a basement, know where your sump pump is located and make sure it is operating properly. A backup battery can also be an exceptionally high-ROI purchase, as it keeps your sump pump running during power outages, which are common during thunderstorms. Consider placing a small smart camera pointed at your sump pump so you can view its live status on your smartphone.
For added insight into sump pump operability, an AcuRite Water Leak Detector near the sump pump or in another low point where water would naturally collect is also recommended. With this Smart AcuRite Water Leak Detector, you can receive alerts via mobile phone if liquid is detected.
After you’ve gotten your sump pump monitoring in check, look at your weather station’s recent rainfall totals. If another round of heavy rain is approaching, you'll have a better understanding of how much water your property has already received.
Don't forget to monitor official weather alerts from the National Weather Service. Your AcuRite station is a powerful source of hyperlocal information, but it should complement, not replace, NWS warnings and emergency instructions.
When Rainfall Turns into a Safety Emergency
If a Flash Flood Warning is issued for your location, take it seriously. The NWS advises moving to higher ground and avoiding flooded roads and areas with rapidly moving water. Even six inches of fast-moving water can knock an adult off their feet, and moving water can easily sweep vehicles away.
If you’re in the car during a heavy rainfall event, never drive around a barricade or attempt to determine whether a flooded roadway is "safe enough" to cross. It’s extremely dangerous! You may not be able to see the road underneath the water, or the road itself may have been damaged or washed out. Always remember to Turn Around, Don't Drown!
Don’t Get Caught Just Watching the Storm, Prepare for It!
Despite thunder and lightning’s best efforts, late-summer storms don’t always announce themselves with dramatic warning signs. Sometimes, the most important information is simply knowing how much and how quickly water is falling.
To get this information, a personal weather station or digital rain gauge is a reliable choice. More than just backyard gadgets, these weather devices can become part of your home's severe weather preparedness plan.
Explore AcuRite Weather Stations, Digital Rain Gauges, and Water Leak Detection solutions to build a smarter, more informed approach to late-summer storm preparedness.