Before the rain, give your home a dry-day check.

A rain-ready house starts with a little attention on a dry day. For Beverly Grove-area owners, the useful question is not simply whether the roof looks good from the sidewalk. It is whether the small maintenance jobs, household supplies and service contacts are organized before water begins testing them.

This guide brings together current City of Los Angeles and LADWP advice. It does not predict rain for a particular date or assess the flood risk of a particular address. West Hollywood is a separate city, and municipal services and utility coverage should be confirmed for your property.

Make the first pass a safe one

LA Emergency Management’s storm-safety guidance recommends clearing debris from home gutters, drainage channels and pipes, and securing outdoor items that could obstruct street drainage. That makes a dry-day maintenance appointment more useful than a last-minute scramble.

From a safe ground-level position, make a short list of places to discuss with your maintenance professional: a downspout you cannot see clearly, a patio drain covered by leaves, or a corner where water collected previously. Do not turn that walk into roof work or enter a drain. The point is to identify questions, arrange appropriate help and give each task an owner.

Separate the house issue from the street issue

The same City guidance directs residents to MyLA311 for storm-related reports such as blocked storm drains, fallen trees and flooding. It notes that reports can include photographs and location information. Prepare the address or nearest intersection and a clear description from a safe place; do not approach moving water or an electrical hazard to obtain a better picture.

A useful household note has three parts: the problem, who is handling it and the request or appointment reference. That keeps an unresolved public-street report from being confused with a completed repair on the property. Our Neighborhood Resource Guide collects everyday service links in one place.

Plan for a dark house, not just a wet garden

LADWP’s outage guidance recommends a flashlight and spare batteries rather than candles. It advises unplugging electrical equipment, particularly heat-producing appliances, and leaving one light on to indicate when power returns. Its outage-reporting number is 1-800-342-5397, with representatives available around the clock.

Before you need them, decide where the flashlight and charged phone accessories live. Choose a location everyone in the household can find without opening several cupboards. If someone else will be looking after the home, share the practical details rather than assuming they know the routine.

Give outage information a place in the plan

LADWP’s outages page provides separate power and water map entry points. Bookmark the official page alongside the reporting number rather than relying on an old screenshot. A utility map is one information source, not an explanation of every problem inside a house. Keep the household’s own observations and any report reference together.

The utility’s power-alert instructions describe optional text, email or both for up to three neighborhoods, in English or Spanish. Alerts cover major outages, with updates as information becomes available and when power is restored. Because only part of a neighborhood may be affected, an alert can arrive even when your home has power. Do not treat either the presence or absence of a message as a household diagnosis.

LADWP directs customers to the Outage Alerts tab in their online account to follow the setup prompts. Confirm preferences directly with the utility; this guide does not enroll anyone or verify delivery. For a house sitter or visiting family member, leave a short handoff: the utility serving the address, the official information link, where the flashlight is kept and whom to contact about a property-specific concern. Share that plan without sharing account passwords. There is no need to wait for an alert before using the utility’s reporting channel.

Sandbags are supplies, not an installation service

In its October 21 notice, LAFD distinguishes empty sandbags from sand: ready-to-fill bags are available year-round at neighborhood fire stations, while sand is offered at selected locations as conditions warrant. Call ahead to confirm supplies. The department does not fill, deliver, install or remove bags.

LAFD explains that properly placed bags divert water rather than simply damming it, and recommends professional help for large or special needs. Do not assume a stack of bags is the right solution for an unexplained drainage problem. Discuss the actual condition with a qualified professional and use the department’s linked preparation guidance.

Know when the maintenance list stops

LA Emergency Management advises staying away from downed power lines, warning others and reporting them immediately to DWP or 911. It also warns against removing branches or debris from wires and against entering flooded roadways. If life or safety is threatened, call 911. A maintenance task can wait; an unsafe situation is not a homeowner repair project.

Keep the finished plan short: work arranged, supplies located, contacts saved and unresolved questions clearly listed. Whether you are staying put, preparing a home for sale or helping someone settle in, that is a more useful starting point than discovering the same loose end during the next shower.