Can the Rain Affect My Plumbing?

Yes, heavy rain can affect your plumbing in several ways.

When the soil around your pipes gets hit with heavy rain, it can hold onto the liquid, turning it into a heavy mud that can apply downward pressure on your pipes. New pipes and well-maintained plumbing systems shouldn’t have any trouble weathering this extra weight. However, brittle older pipes and plumbing lines that have previously been damaged can break under the pressure. If you have cracks due to root penetration or pipes that have been thinned out due to ongoing use of liquid drain cleaner, they can rupture when heavy rain occurs.

In instances where rain causes soil to become over saturated with water, pipes can also shift underground. Much like a landslide, soil can erode and move unpredictably, taking pipes with it and sweeping away the structural support under the pipes, leaving them vulnerable to breaking.  

Additionally, rain can force debris into drains, forcing water to backup into your sewer system. Sticks, rocks, roots, leaves, and mud can plug up sewer drains and cause problems for nearby homeowners, creating a ripple effect throughout your home plumbing network. Depending on the location of the clogged drain and the extent of the clog, a sewage back up into your home can also occur. Extremely clogged sewer drains may even create enough pressure to cause a broken sewer main line, allowing soil to enter your home water and sewage to leak into your yard.

Additional resources:
Is it a plumbing emergency?
Basement Flooding After Rain
My Basement Keeps Flooding
Why Isn't My Sump Pump Working To Get Rid of Water?
Diagnosing Yard Wet Spots
Outdoor Plumbing Issues
How to Clean a Sump Pump
Uprooted Trees and Your Plumbing
Should a Sump Pump Get Rid of Water in a Basement?
Who Can Help with Plumbing During a Storm?
Understanding Emergency Plumbing Costs
Fixing Main Line Plumbing Issues
Does Your Sump Pump Need to be Serviced?
Sump Pump Maintenance Schedule
Fixing an Overworked Sump Pump
Is Sewer Line Repair Expensive?
Who can Handle my Emergency Plumbing Problem?
How much is Cracked Sewer Pipe Repair?
Who does Emergency Plumbing in Lowell?
Explanation of Emergency Plumbing Circumstances
Who does Broken Pipe Repair?
Can Broken Pipes Under the Home be Repaired?
Insurance and Broken Pipe Repair Costs
Sewer Pipe Repair Companies in Lowell
Do I have a Broken Sewer Line?
Sewer Line Repair Costs in Lowell
Can Tree Roots Break Sewer Pipes?
How to Find Lowell Sewer Line Repair Companies
Who is the Best Lowell Company for Sewer Line Repair?
Is there a Lowell Plumber who can do Emergency Sewer Line Repair?
Who does Lowell Sewer Line Replacement?
What's the Cost for Lowell Sewer Line Cleanout Services?
Who can do Emergency Sewer Line Cleanout in Lowell?
Lowell Cracked Sewer Pipe Repair
Costs to Repair a Collapsed Sewer Pipe in Lowell
What's Included in Lowell Main Sewer Line Cleanout?
How much is Main Line Sewer Clog Repair?