Prepping Your Pool Before a Tropical Storm

The day before a tropical storm reaches Martin County, we get a wave of phone calls asking what to do with the pool. The short answer: not much, and definitely don't drain it.

A pool full of water is its own ballast. An empty pool can actually pop up out of the ground if the water table rises. Leave the water in.

Do this instead:

Lower the level by 6 inches if you expect heavy rain. This gives the pool somewhere to put the extra water.

Shock the pool the evening before. You won't be servicing it for a few days.

Move all loose furniture, pool toys, and the cleaner robot into the garage. Anything left out becomes a projectile.

Turn off the pump at the breaker once winds pick up. Cover the equipment with a tarp if you've got time.

Do not throw lawn furniture into the pool. People still do this. It scratches plaster and can crack tile.

After the storm, give it a day or two for power and debris before you fire equipment back up. We sweep our route within 48 hours of a storm at no extra charge — your visit might just shift a day.