Hurricane checklist — before + after.

Before the storm (24–48 hours out)

1. 01
   Double-dose chlorine

   Bump FC to shock level (12–15 ppm) before the storm hits. Rain dilutes chlorine + brings in organic matter — you want a big reserve so the pool doesn’t crash to green during the outage.
2. 02
   Lower the water level 6–12 inches

   Not more — you want water weight to hold the shell down. Just enough to give heavy rain somewhere to go without overflowing and flooding the deck. Backwash your filter to drop it, or use the pump on “waste.”
3. 03
   Turn off the equipment breaker

   Kill power to the pump, heater, salt cell, and lights at the breaker panel. Storm surges through the electrical system are the #1 cause of dead pool equipment after a hurricane.
4. 04
   Remove or lash down loose items

   Floats, toys, cleaning poles, robotic cleaners — anything that can become a projectile. Patio furniture either into the garage or tied down.
5. 05
   Take a photo of your equipment pad

   Serial numbers, plumbing, gauges. If the pad gets damaged and you need to file an insurance claim, before-photos make the process 10x faster.

After the storm

1. 01
   Skim heavy debris before it sinks

   Leaves, branches, roof shingles. If it lands on the bottom, wait a day to skim so it settles; picking up from the bottom without stirring is easier.
2. 02
   Inspect the equipment pad visually

   Look for cracked plumbing, missing sections, damaged filter housing, water inside the pump motor housing. Don’t re-energize the breaker until you’ve confirmed everything is dry and intact.
3. 03
   Turn equipment back on carefully

   Pump first. Let it prime and circulate for an hour before turning on the heater or salt cell. If the pump won’t prime after 15 minutes, there’s either an air leak (check the pump lid) or debris in the impeller.
4. 04
   Test the water

   Rain drops CYA (dilutes stabilizer) and TA. Chlorine is probably still elevated from the pre-storm dose but drops fast as it kills off contamination. Retest every 12 hours for the first two days.
5. 05
   Rebalance in the standard order

   Alkalinity → pH → chlorine → CYA. If your CYA is now under 20 ppm from the rain dilution, add stabilizer. If chlorine is under 1 ppm, shock again — the pool is vulnerable until FC is back in range.
6. 06
   Watch for a week

   Post-hurricane pools go green 3–5 days after the storm because contaminated runoff keeps landing and the chemistry hasn’t stabilized. Test daily, brush 2x, and be ready to run a quick SLAM if needed.

When to just call me

Weekly maintenance, water chemistry, green pool rescue, equipment care, storm prep — pick another one.