Hurricane & Storm Prep for Your Gulf Coast Pool

Before the storm

• Don't drain the pool. The water's weight anchors the shell. An emptied pool sitting in saturated ground can crack or even "pop" upward from hydrostatic pressure — one of the most expensive failures in pool ownership.
• Lower the waterline a few inches (4–6) to make room for rainfall. Any more is unnecessary and only reduces the anchoring weight.
• Superchlorinate. A boosted sanitizer level ahead of the storm buys you a head start on whatever debris and rainwater end up in the pool.
• Secure the yard. Store loungers, toys, and loose décor. Don't put pool furniture in the pool — it can damage the finish.
• Don't cover the pool. A cover becomes a sail and a debris trap; it's cheaper to clean open water than to replace a shredded cover and frame.
• Shut off power at the breaker before the storm arrives so pumps and heaters can't run dry or surge.

After the storm

• Remove large debris first — branches, furniture, insulation — by hand or net, gently, before running the pump.
• Inspect before restarting. If wiring, the pump, or the panel took on water, have it checked before restoring power. Water and energized equipment destroy motors and endanger people.
• Keep the pool full. The temptation to drain a debris-filled pool is exactly backwards — see above.
• Shock and circulate. Once power is safely restored, run the filter and bring sanitizer back up; storm water loads the pool with organics fast.
• Watch the filter pressure. Fine silt will load the filter quickly — clean or backwash more often than usual for the first week.

The week after matters most

Most storm damage we repair wasn't caused by the storm itself — it was caused by a pump restarted too soon or water left stagnant and green for two weeks. A prompt, orderly restart and a couple of follow-up chemical visits usually return a pool to normal at a fraction of the cost of the failures that neglect produces.