Melting snow is the new drowning!

The media always has to grab on to the "new" issue or problem and alert the public to dangers. For the past few summers, it's been Drowning Deaths, which I doubt has increased over time. This spring, it's Flooding Basements! Um, doesn't Spring happen every year?

Found and heard this morning on CBC:

Melting snow prompts fears of basement flooding
Last Updated: Thursday, March 13, 2008 | 8:50 AM ET
CBC News

With milder temperatures forecast for Toronto over the next few days, city officials are hoping it will help get rid of some of the snow that's been piling up.

But they're also warning homeowners to be on the lookout for basement flooding.

Ray Russell has been in the drain and waterproofing business for 40 years. He said he is already getting calls about basement flooding.

"When it thaws, you're getting [flooding] because right now there's so much snow on the ground … there's nowhere for the water to run off to because there's so much snow. People need to dig a path for their drains," he said.

Paul Tomlinson, who runs another drain business, said he's expecting "over a hundred homes [to] phone us within a 24-hour period."

Russell blames the city for part of the problem. He said some downspouts that were disconnected from sewers weren't installed far enough from homes.

Lou Di Gironimo, general manager of Toronto Water, disagrees.

He said contractors know to extend downspouts away from homes and not put them in areas with poor grading.

"If the ground in and around homes slopes back to the house, that's the worst situation you can have. In most cases, if you have a proper, positive slope, as they call it, away from the house, you have no problem with a disconnected downspout."

Di Gironimo said older homes with cracks in foundation walls potentially have problems, especially if there isn't adequate sloping.

As well as digging a path in the snow for water to run off, he said homeowners should also clear any catch basins on their property.