How to Prepare for Rain Season in New Orleans: Practical Steps for Homeowners
Introduction, why preparing for rain season in New Orleans matters
New Orleans gets intense summer downpours and tropical systems that can turn a sunny morning into a flooded street by afternoon. If you want a simple answer for how to prepare for rain season in New Orleans, start early and focus on the things that actually fail in a storm, like clogged gutters, weak roof flashing, and backyard drainage that backs up into basements or crawlspaces.
This guide walks you through a homeowner checklist, step by step, with concrete tasks you can do in a weekend. You will learn how to inspect and seal roof penetrations, route stormwater away from foundations, size a sump pump and add a battery backup, and choose stormproof landscaping that reduces standing water.
Prepare now and you lower the odds of expensive repairs, mold remediation, and insurance headaches. Small upgrades, done before the first heavy rain, often pay for themselves after one bad storm.
Know the timeline and risks, when rain season hits and what to expect
In New Orleans the rain season has a pattern you can plan around. Expect the wettest period from June through September, while hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30 with peak activity in August and September. That means heavy afternoon thunderstorms and slow moving tropical systems are both real risks.
Typical summer storms can drop 2 to 6 inches of rain in a few hours, enough to trigger flash floods on clogged streets and in low lying yards. Tropical storms and hurricanes add prolonged downpours, storm surge, and sustained wind damage that can overwhelm pump stations and drainage canals.
Local vulnerabilities matter. Gentilly, Lakeview, the Lower Ninth Ward, and St. Bernard Parish flood more easily because they sit lower or have older drainage infrastructure. Expect roof leaks, backyard standing water, and overwhelmed sump pumps when rainfall rates exceed pump capacity.
Plan with these timelines and risks in mind, check NWS and NOLA Ready alerts during peak months, and prioritize quick wins like clearing gutters and verifying your sump pump before June.
Inspect your home, quick checks that reveal major vulnerabilities
If you want to know how to prepare for rain season in New Orleans, start with a 20 minute walkaround. Focus on roof, gutters, windows, doors, foundation, crawlspaces, and yard drainage.
Roof: scan for missing or curled shingles, lifted flashing around vents and chimneys, and soft spots in the attic ceiling. Use binoculars from the ground if you are not comfortable on a ladder. Replace loose shingles and call a roofer for sagging areas.
Gutters and downspouts: clear leaves, check the slope so water runs toward downspouts, and run a garden hose to confirm flow. Extend downspouts so water discharges at least 6 feet from the foundation, or add splash blocks.
Windows and doors: look for cracked caulk, deteriorating weatherstripping, and rotted sills. Spray with a hose to find leaks and reseal with exterior polyurethane caulk.
Foundation and yard: inspect for cracks wider than a hairline, confirm soil grades slope away from the house, and add swales or a French drain where water pools.
Crawlspace: check for standing water, damp insulation, and mold. Install a vapor barrier and verify the sump pump works, with a battery backup if possible. Prioritize fixes that prevent water entry, they save you the most money.
Simple maintenance tasks that prevent water intrusion
Start with quick wins that stop water before it reaches walls or foundation, these tasks deliver the biggest return for time invested.
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Clean gutters and downspouts. Remove leaves, check for sagging, confirm pitch toward downspouts; extend each downspout at least 6 feet from the foundation or route into a splash block or French drain. Consider gutter guards to cut maintenance.
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Fix roof issues. Replace missing or cracked shingles, reseal flashing around chimneys and vents with roofing cement, inspect attic for daylight or staining that signals leaks. Small roof repairs stop interior water intrusion.
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Seal gaps and openings. Use exterior grade polyurethane caulk around windows and doors; swap worn weatherstripping on exterior doors. For hairline foundation cracks use epoxy injection, for larger gaps use hydraulic cement.
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Regrade soil away from the foundation. Aim for a 5 percent slope over the first 10 feet, add topsoil where needed, and create shallow swales to direct runoff away from the house.
Bonus checks: test your sump pump, clear window wells, and install a backflow valve for storm drains, especially when learning how to prepare for rain season in New Orleans.
Build an emergency kit and household plan
Keep one grab and go kit by the door and one stored on a high shelf, so you can act fast when learning how to prepare for rain season in New Orleans. Compact checklist: two gallons of water per person per day for three days, 72 hour food supply, battery or crank radio, flashlight, extra batteries, portable phone charger, waterproof flashlight, tarp and duct tape, basic tool kit, first aid kit, cash, prescription meds, pet supplies, and work gloves. Store important documents in a waterproof bag and upload scans to the cloud, include insurance policies, property deed, IDs, medical records, and home inventory photos. Create a household plan with an out of town contact, two meeting spots one nearby and one outside flood zones, and a clear phone and text tree so one person checks on elderly neighbors. Get local alerts by signing up for NOLA Ready and your parish emergency notifications, enable Wireless Emergency Alerts on your phone, and keep a NOAA weather radio tuned to local forecasts. Practice the plan twice a year.
Protect vehicles and outdoor equipment
Park cars on the highest ground available, ideally inside a garage. If you must park on the street, choose elevated blocks or streets with clear storm drains, and face the car downhill so water runs away from the engine bay. Disconnect battery trickle chargers and remove valuables.
Bring outdoor furniture into a shed or garage. If space is limited, stack chairs and tether them with ratchet straps to a heavy object, or weight covers with sandbags. Fold umbrellas and store cushions in waterproof bins.
Elevate pool pumps, heaters and generators on concrete blocks or treated pallets, and secure generators to prevent tipping. Run generator exhaust away from doors and windows. For quick yard prep, lay potted plants on their side and anchor lightweight items with bricks.
Prepare for power loss and plumbing problems
Rain season in New Orleans often means outages and leaks, so plan for short term power and plumbing problems now. Quick, practical steps you can do this afternoon.
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Power: get a portable generator sized for refrigerator and sump pump, install a transfer switch, run the generator at least 20 feet from windows, never backfeed into your panel. Keep power banks and a UPS for routers and medical devices, charge them before a storm.
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Refrigerator and freezer: set fridge to its coldest before a predicted outage, group items together, freeze gallon jugs of water to act as thermal mass, keep doors closed, use a thermometer to monitor food safety.
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Water supply: fill clean containers with drinking water, store two weeks worth for your household, test and sanitize a rain barrel if you use one for nonpotable needs.
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Shutting off utilities: locate and label main water valve, gas shutoff wrench, and electrical panel; practice turning them off, and if the basement is flooded do not touch breakers, call a pro.
When to evacuate and how to stay informed during storms
Watch local warnings, not rumors. Follow the National Weather Service and NOAA Weather Radio for watches versus warnings, and register for your parish alert system, for example NOLA Ready and Notify Orleans. Set phone alerts, enable emergency tones, and follow your parish sheriff and utility accounts for real time updates. This is essential when learning how to prepare for rain season in New Orleans.
Decide to evacuate if officials issue a mandatory order, if your home sits in a floodplain, or if you rely on electricity for medical devices. Shelter in place only when roads are unsafe and you can reach upper floors or a community shelter.
Quick leave checklist, grab these fast:
- IDs, insurance papers, and stored photos of property
- Medications and three days of water and snacks
- Phone chargers, cash, car keys
- Pet carrier and supplies
Final checklist and next steps to make your plan real
Turn your plan into action with a simple, do it now checklist you can follow this week. Print it, pin it to your fuse box, or save it on your phone.
Checklist:
Clear gutters and downspouts, test downspout extensions, and direct water away from the foundation.
Inspect roof for loose shingles, repair flashing, and replace failing sealant around vents.
Test sump pump under load, install battery backup, and label circuit breakers.
Trim trees near the house, secure loose outdoor furniture, and store mulch off the foundation.
Review homeowner policy, note deductible for flood claims, and photograph valuables for records.
Map safe evacuation routes, assemble a grab bag with meds, chargers, and important papers.
Local resources and services to call: NOLA Ready for emergency alerts, Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans for drainage issues, Entergy for downed wires, and Orleans Parish Code Enforcement for permits. Find vetted roofers, plumbers, and gutter pros on Angi, BBB, or recommendations in neighborhood groups.
Maintenance schedule: monthly for gutters and pumps, quarterly for exterior checks, and annual for roofing, insurance review, and sump pump replacement if older than five years.
