As we were constructing the house, my grandmother got sick and we became acutely aware of how some houses aren't elderly friendly. Consequently we decided to design the basement on the off chance mom and dad have to move down there and become wheelchair-bound: We widened the doors, enlarged the bathroom, etc. However later on we realized there was a problem with our new, ADA basement. The old house had a giant, concrete threshold by the door, but we had to lower it to facilitate pushing a wheelchair through it. Now that the summer storms are here, we have flooding issues. So far the water hasn't crept over, but I can imagine if we get a storm of Irene's intensity it'll definitely pour through the backdoor, never mind something like Sandy. Unfortunately the storm drain to the sewer system is literally a foot and a half away from the entrance as it's always been. We wanted to move it away, but we still have the old oil tanker from back in the 1930s under the porch. If we even touch it during construction, it legally becomes an expensive environmental hazard. So the drain stayed. Even then I think it could handle most of it, but the neighbors on both sides of us have problems with their gutters and downspouts, so their water floods into our backyard. We're handling three properties' rainwater, and it just aggravates everything.

Man, I wish these storms would end so I can stop checking the backdoor every fifteen minutes...