Never Underestimate the Value of Good Timing.

The weather system causing hurricaines in North Carolina is causing heavy thunderstorms here in New Jersey.

Because my back yard is poorly graded and doesn't drain water well, I gave it the name "Lake New Jersey." Typically the rain creates several small ponds. For the first time our yard is a real lake.

So I went to our basement to check for any signs of flooding. We have a french drain and two sump pumps. The pumps have been tested but never activated by the rain. While I didn't see any signs of flooding, I did see that one of our two sump pumps was unplugged. I plugged it in and for the first time I heard the whirr of a motor -- it was pumping! Good, and bad. I checked the other pump - it's not pumping -- yet.

Never underestimate the importance of good timing.