[RKDinOKC]

My house is not in a low area, but...The runoff from the two properties west of mine sloped to the front of my house. After a couple of days of drizzle the floor vents would start filling with water.

I spent and entires summer roto-tilling my front yard and wheelbarrowing dirt to re-landscape my front yard so the runoff is directed away from the front of the house out into the street. It was rough because the manaul dirt moving aggravated my diverticulitis and ended with surgery in late October of that year.

But, hey, now instead of everything sloping to the front of my house, there is a lowered area that slopes across the front of my house guiding the water away. No more vent filling even after a week of rain.