On the Gulf Coast, storm season runs June through November — and every year we get calls from Cypress and Katy homeowners who did one well-meaning thing to their pool that made it worse. Here’s how to actually protect your pool before, during, and after a storm.
Before the storm
Do not drain your pool. This is the big one. It feels logical — empty it so rain has room — but our water table gets extremely high in a Houston storm, and an empty or low pool can literally pop out of the ground from the pressure underneath it. The water in your pool is what holds it down. Leave it full.
- Skip the “lower the water” step. A full pool can handle the rain far better than a floating shell can handle an empty one. If your pool has an overflow, it’ll manage itself.
- Add extra chlorine and shock the day before. If the power’s out for days, your pump won’t run — a boost of chlorine buys you time before algae takes hold.
- Cut power to the equipment at the breaker. A power surge or flooded motor is how pumps and heaters die in a storm. If serious flooding is likely, have the pump motor disconnected and wrapped.
- Store your loose items — don’t throw them in the pool. Patio furniture in the pool is an old myth; metal and wood can chip plaster and stain the finish. Bring cushions, toys, and light furniture inside or into the garage. Heavy items can stay if they’re secured.
- Leave the pool uncovered. A cover just traps debris and can tear in high wind.
During the storm
Leave it alone. Stay away from the pool and the equipment pad entirely — standing water plus electricity is a serious hazard. Nothing you can do to the pool during the storm is worth going outside for.
Storm knocked your pool out?
Flooded pump, tripped breaker, or green water after the storm — we’ll inspect it free and quote before any work.
See pool equipment repair →After the storm
Once it’s safe to be outside, work in this order:
- Still don’t drain it, even if it looks like a swamp. Same reason as before — the ground is now saturated, which is exactly when an empty pool floats.
- Scoop the big debris — branches, leaves, anything that could clog the skimmer or pump.
- Check the equipment before you restore power. If the pump motor sat in floodwater, do not switch it on — a flooded motor needs to be inspected or replaced first, or you’ll fry it. When in doubt, leave the breaker off and call.
- Run the filter and rebalance. Once power and equipment are confirmed safe, run the pump continuously, test and correct the chemistry, and shock it.
- Expect it to take a few days to go from storm-mess to clear, especially if the power was out for a while.
When to call a pro
Call us if the equipment sat in water, if breakers keep tripping, or if the water has gone full green and you’re not making progress. We’ll inspect the equipment for free, tell you honestly what survived the storm and what didn’t, and quote any repair before we touch it — never sight-unseen. And if you’d rather not think about any of this next storm, weekly service means someone’s already watching your pool and equipment for you.