Seattle says it’s ‘drainy season.’ The first drain your leaves clog is on your roof.

Seattle — Oct. 26, 2026. Seattle Public Utilities posted its fall leaf reminder Monday with a simple message: “Windy, rainy weather is here and so are our fall leaves.” Leaves clog storm drains and can flood streets on rainy days, so SPU is asking residents to rake leaves before they reach the street and to safely clear the storm drains near their homes.

To help, SPU household food and yard waste customers can set out up to 10 extra bags of leaves each collection day in November for no additional charge. The extra yard waste goes in a paper or certified compostable lawn and leaf bag, not plastic, or a personal reusable container with a lid.

What SPU announced

Rake first, keep drains clear, and bag the drain leaves as garbage

SPU’s post asks residents to “Be a Drainspotter!”: keep an eye on the storm drains near you and make sure they don’t clog. Its safety rules are short. Wear gloves and use tools, not your hands. Work from the sidewalk or curb, not the street. And practice proper disposal: raked leaves go in yard waste or get used as mulch, “But leaves from the storm drain go in the garbage due to pollution and contamination.”

The rain that set this off wasn’t much. KIRO Newsradio’s Ted Buehner reported Monday that Sea‑Tac picked up 0.20 inches from the weekend system, bringing October’s total to just 0.28 inches against an average of just under 4 inches. He expected a midweek system to add half an inch or more.

The angle most coverage missed

The drain system on your house is your job, and SPU says so

Drain campaigns focus on the street. But SPU’s page on private drainage maintenance, linked at the bottom of the same post, starts with a line most homeowners never see: “Maintaining your property’s drainage system is your responsibility.” It tells owners to inspect catch basins, gutters and downspouts regularly, to “Clean gutters and downspouts at least twice per year,” and to direct downspout flows at least 5 feet away from the foundation (“10 feet is better!”).

That matters this week because the first leaves to reach a drain aren’t the ones in the street. They’re the ones on your roof. A gutter is a drain that runs the length of your roof. When its outlet clogs, the water doesn’t go to the street drain at all. It drops off the roof edge next to the foundation.

1. 01

   Roof

   Leaves and fir needles land and wait for rain.

2. 02

   Gutter

   The first drain in the system. Outlets clog here first.

3. 03

   Downspout

   Carries water down. SPU says land it 5 to 10 feet from the foundation.

4. 04

   Street drain

   The drain SPU asks residents to keep clear of leaves.

Tacoma homeowners have the same setup. If a street drain floods near your house, the City of Tacoma lists a 24‑hour storm drain flooding line through Environmental Services: (253) 591‑5585.

What to do

A drainy-season checklist for Seattle and Tacoma homes

• Rake leaves before they reach the street, as SPU asks. In Seattle, use November’s 10 free extra leaf bags per pickup day.

• Clear the storm drain in front of your house only if you can do it safely from the curb. Bag what comes out as garbage.

• Get gutters and downspouts cleaned at least twice a year, as SPU recommends: once after the big leaf drop and once in spring. A professional gutter cleaning clears each run by hand and runs every downspout until it drains.

• Check where each downspout lets out. If it’s closer than 5 feet to the foundation, add an extension.

• Read our gutter cleaning and repair tips for Seattle homes for more.

See an instant gutter cleaning price range online, send us photos, book a cleaning online or call (425) 828-3000. See our service area for the cities we cover. Missed the first storm? Read what overflowing gutters told you after the first fall rain.