Question
James, I have an outside, screened in area in the back yard. When the major rain
storms come and the rain is coming quickly and non-stop, it rises above the patio
level  because it is not draining into the ground fast enough. I have gone out and
done what another man near by said. I dug several holes with a hole digger, then
poured in  rocks first, then sand and last dirt. It worked for a short time, but in
the last hurricane season it was not sinking fast enough. So I dug  more. Still
tonight the rain came down do fast it was coming in under the screen door and I
had to throw down paint cloths just to soak in the water. Then I went outside with
a shovel and quickly dug 3 holes quickly to get the water to soak in and stop the
flooding. Our back yard is a slight slope coming towards the house which doesn't
help. I'm fearing the real rain season if I don't find out what to do to have this
water draining into the grown fast enough to keep it from coming onto the
cement deck. Any ideas or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Answer
Hi Richard, You can't make your ground absorb water any faster during heavy rains. Your sump holes help in light, short duration rains, but will just fill up in a downpour.  Your only option is to place a physical barrier around the area you wish to protect. Just a slight rise in grade should divert the water away.  I'd add a 3' wide band of soil around the area starting at ground level and increasing to a depth of 2" at the deck edge.  You may want to add a steel edging or rock border if you think the depth should be greater.  You may also need to consider a trench to take water to a lower area more efficiently.  It too can be wide and shallow so it's barely visible but functional.  Jim