A Florida tropical storm or hurricane dumps 4–12 inches of rain, drops every leaf in the yard into the pool, and overwhelms the chemistry in an afternoon. The water recovers in 48–72 hours if you work a sensible sequence. It can take two weeks if you don't. Here is the morning-after protocol every Florida pool tech runs.
Before the storm, ideally
- Leave the water in the pool. Contrary to old advice, draining a pool before a storm risks the shell floating out of the ground from groundwater pressure. The water weight is what keeps the pool in place.
- Lower the level 6–12 inches to give rain room before overflow.
- Shock and balance24–48 hours before landfall so chlorine is elevated when the storm hits.
- Turn the pump off at the breakerand unplug automation; don't trust the timer to be there after the storm.
- Secure loose items— furniture, grills, potted plants. These become flying objects at 100+ mph winds.
The morning-after sequence
- Safety check the equipment pad. Do not energize anything wet. Look for flooding inside electrical boxes. A tripped breaker is expected; resetting one that keeps tripping is dangerous.
- Net out gross debris.Don't try to vacuum through it — you'll clog the pump. Leaf rakes first, vacuum later.
- Lower water level if the pool is overflowing or within 2 inches of the deck. Pump to waste through the multiport or drain manually.
- Inspect the structure. Cracks in the plaster, separation at tile line, displaced coping. Photograph for insurance.
- Power up, one piece at a time.Main pump first — prime, verify flow, listen for unusual sounds. Then heater if present. Then salt cell and automation.
- Test chemistry.Expect chlorine near zero, pH bounced up or down, alkalinity low (diluted by rainwater). Balance pH/alkalinity first, then shock to 3× the current combined chlorine to breakpoint.
- Run filtration 24/7for 48–72 hours. Expect to backwash or hose the cartridge filter multiple times.
What to watch for during recovery
- Cloudy after 48 hours. Either phosphate load (rainwater flushes lawn fertilizer into the pool) or filter channeling. Phosphate-removing treatment plus fresh filter media usually clears it.
- Algae bloom within a week. Common after storm dilution drops CYA and chlorine below effective levels. Super-chlorinate and brush aggressively.
- Persistent low TA/hardness. Dilution from rainwater. Replace the water you drained and rebalance.
- Stained plasterafter tree debris sat in the water. Tannin staining from oak leaves is specifically treated with ascorbic acid + metal sequestrant; don't brush blindly.
Insurance documentation
- Date-stamped photographs of the pool and equipment pad before, during, and after cleanup.
- Receipts for chemicals, repairs, and professional service calls.
- A written inspection report from a licensed pool technician if filing on the pool shell, equipment, or deck.
A Florida pool that stays balanced year-round recovers from a hurricane in three days. A pool that was already fighting chemistry going in can take two weeks. The best storm-prep is a well-run pool.