Storm Season Pool Care: How to Protect Your Pool Before, During and After Severe Weather

Storms can move in quickly, and a little preparation goes a long way toward protecting your pool, your equipment and your backyard. Whether you’re facing heavy rain, high winds or a tropical system moving up the coast, these simple steps from the Cool Pool team will help you avoid costly damage and get back to swimming sooner.

Before the Storm

Lower your water level if it’s already high. If your water is near the top of the tile line or coping, lowering it a few inches ahead of time helps prevent overflow and reduces the chance of debris washing into the pool. Please don’t drain the pool completely. An empty pool can be damaged by groundwater pressure, and the water helps keep the structure stable.

Clear the deck and yard. Bring in patio furniture, umbrellas, toys, planters and anything else the wind could pick up. Loose items can end up in your pool or damage your equipment, fence or home.

Check your chemistry. Heavy rain dilutes your water and brings in organic debris. Making sure your sanitizer levels are in a healthy range before the storm gives your pool a head start on recovery.

Know where your equipment breaker is. If you need to shut off power quickly, you’ll want to know exactly where to go.

During the Storm

Stay safe and let the storm pass. Please don’t attempt to clean the pool, remove debris or service equipment while severe weather is happening. Lightning, high winds and wet electrical equipment are a dangerous combination, and nothing in the pool is worth the risk.

After the Storm

Check the equipment pad first. If flooding or significant water has collected around your equipment pad, shut down power to the pool equipment and contact us once conditions are safe. If anything sounds unusually loud or just seems wrong when the system is running, turn it off and give us a call. It’s always better to have a technician take a look than to risk further damage.

Remove debris carefully. Skim leaves and branches from the surface before running the system and empty your skimmer and pump baskets. Large debris or anything you’re unsure about is best left to our team.

Rebalance the water. Rainwater and runoff can throw off your pH, alkalinity and sanitizer levels. Test your water or bring a sample to us and be prepared to shock the pool to get things back on track.

Schedule a post-storm cleanup if you need help. Our team is available for storm debris removal, water balancing, filter cleanings and overall recovery once the weather clears.

Important Reminder for Automatic Cover Owners

If your pool has an automatic cover, we recommend leaving it open during significant rain events and storms whenever possible. It may seem counterintuitive, but a pool is generally much easier and less expensive to clean after a storm than it is to repair or replace cover fabric, tracks, ropes, pulleys or other components. Heavy rainwater, debris buildup and falling branches can put serious stress on a closed cover.

We’re Here When the Weather Clears

If you have any concerns after a storm, the Cool Pool team is ready to help with cleanup, water balancing, equipment checks and anything else your pool needs. Stay safe out there!