The curb hose trick is tempting, but yeah, the risk isn’t really worth it—especially if your city’s strict about storm drain dumping. I’ve had better luck with a sump pump and a long discharge hose, just like you mentioned. The timer helps a lot, but honestly, even then you have to babysit it a bit if your yard doesn’t slope much.
One thing that’s helped me is digging a shallow trench to direct the water away from the house before draining. It’s not pretty, but it keeps the water from pooling around my foundation or running back toward the patio (been there... not fun). If you’ve got any kind of natural low spot or swale, aim for that.
Testing with a bucket first is solid advice. I learned the hard way that water will always find its own path—and sometimes that path is straight into your neighbor’s flower bed. Not my proudest moment.
