When a hurricane is heading toward Florida, your pool is both at risk and — counter- intuitively — protective. A pool full of water is ballast that helps your liner or deck stay put. A drained pool during a storm can literally pop out of the ground from hydrostatic pressure. Don't drain.
Before the storm (48 hours out)
- Don't drain the pool. Lower by 6–12 inches to give rain some room. Full drain risks structural damage.
- Shock the pool.Raise free chlorine high. You won't be able to test or dose during the storm — the FC buffer protects against contamination.
- Balance chemistry. pH 7.4, TA 80, so rain dilution has less effect.
- Remove and store patio furniture, toys, umbrellas, grills. Anything that can blow into the pool is a missile and a wrecking ball for plaster.
- Turn off power to equipment at the breaker. Surges during the storm fry pumps.
During the storm
Leave the pool alone. Don't cover it (covers become sails). Don't try to pump water out as it rises. The pool is doing its job.
After the storm
- Assess before turning anything on.Walk the equipment pad. If it's been submerged or debris-struck, don't power up — call us first.
- Remove large debris by hand.Don't skim or vacuum heavy branches through the skimmer — it can crack the throat.
- Lower water level back to normal via backwash or pump-to-waste.
- Test chemistry. Expect: low FC (burned through contaminants), low pH (rainwater is acidic), diluted TA. Dose accordingly.
- Run filter 24/7 for 48 hours. Expect to clean/backwash more frequently.
- Brush daily for a week — storm contaminants concentrate on surfaces.
When to call us
- Pool is milky and won't clear in 72 hours
- Equipment was submerged or struck
- Plaster looks chipped or gouged from debris
- Pool's water level dropped overnight (possible liner/plumbing damage)
We run storm-damage assessments at a flat diagnostic fee — no charge if we can't find a real issue. After major storms we prioritize our existing weekly service customers.