When the Weather Forecast Says "Tropical System"
Northeast Florida hurricane season runs June through November, with the highest-risk window late August through early October. Most years bring two or three serious threats that come close enough to matter, plus a handful of severe thunderstorm events that aren't named but still dump 4 inches of rain in two hours.
This guide is the no-panic version of pool prep for severe weather in St. Johns and surrounding areas. We've seen what happens when people do too much, too little, or the wrong things. This is what to actually do.
The Big One: Do Not Drain Your Pool
If you remember one thing, remember this.
The water table in St. Johns County is high. In some parts of Nocatee, RiverTown, and Julington Creek, you'll hit groundwater 4 to 6 feet below grade. That groundwater is what holds the pressure on the outside of your pool shell.
If you drain your pool fully before a storm and the ground gets saturated, the hydrostatic pressure can literally pop your pool out of the ground. We're talking $20,000 to $50,000 worth of damage, and your homeowner's insurance probably won't cover it because it's considered "owner-caused."
Lower the water level 6 inches if you're worried about overflow. That's it. Never drain it more than that. If a pool company suggests fully draining ahead of a hurricane, get a different pool company.
48 Hours Before: The Real Pre-Storm Checklist
Once a watch is issued or a serious thunderstorm is in the forecast, here's the order of operations.
1. Add chlorine.
A storm dumps rain, leaves, dirt, and sometimes salt aerosol into your pool. Chlorine demand is going to spike. Add enough liquid chlorine to bring your free chlorine to 5 to 6 ppm. You want a buffer.
2. Balance the chemistry.
pH around 7.2 to 7.4. Alkalinity 80 to 100. CYA wherever it usually sits. The goal is a pool that's stable going into the storm so it bounces back faster afterward.
3. Lower water level 6 inches.
Use the pump set to "waste" if you have a multi-port valve, or a submersible pump, or a siphon hose. Six inches gives the pool room for rainfall without overflow flooding the deck and equipment pad.
4. Run the filter long enough to clean current debris.
Then we'll be turning it off, so do this now while you can. Backwash the filter if it's a DE or sand setup. Clean the cartridge if you have one.
5. Bring everything loose inside.
This is the one most people half-do. Pool floats, the skimmer net, the leaf vacuum, kids' toys, that "outdoor" rug, the table that you swear is heavy enough. All of it. Inside the garage. The wind in a tropical storm moves things you wouldn't expect to move.
6. Remove or secure the pool cover.
A pool cover in a hurricane becomes a sail. Either remove it entirely (best) or lash it down so it can't lift. Most automatic covers should be retracted.
7. Trim trees near the pool.
If a tree limb is going to fall into your pool during the storm, it's better to know which limb that is and remove it Thursday. Especially the live oaks around Fruit Cove and Julington Creek with branches reaching over the enclosure.
12 Hours Before: Power Down the Equipment
This is the part where most homeowners hesitate.
Turn off the power to the pool pump and heater at the breaker. Not at the timer. At the breaker.
The reason: lightning strikes. A direct or near-direct strike will fry pool electronics if they're powered up. We've seen $1,500 pumps and $3,000 heaters destroyed by lightning that came within 100 feet but never hit the equipment directly.
If you have an automation system (Pentair IntelliCenter, Hayward OmniLogic, or similar), powering down protects the controller, which is the most expensive thing on the pad.
Cover the equipment pad with a tarp only if it's exposed (no roof above it). Most pads under a roof line are fine uncovered.
During the Storm
Stay inside. Don't go check on the pool. We've talked to pool owners who lost their footing in 50 mph wind trying to "just look real quick." Not worth it.
The Morning After: Recovery Steps
Once the storm has passed and it's safe to be outside, here's the recovery sequence.
1. Visual inspection first.
Look for downed wires near the pool before stepping near it. Look at the screen enclosure for damage. Look at the equipment pad. Don't turn anything on yet.
2. Fish out the obvious debris by hand.
Leaves, branches, anything large. Don't vacuum yet. A pump trying to circulate water full of debris will burn out.
3. Check the water level.
If the pool overflowed, the deck got soaked but you're fine. If the pool level dropped, you have a leak somewhere or someone partially drained it. The latter is much worse.
4. Test the chemistry.
Free chlorine is probably zero. pH could be all over the place. Phosphates are likely high from organic debris.
5. Power up equipment carefully.
Breaker on. Listen to the pump. If it sounds normal, great. If it sounds wrong (high-pitched whine, grinding, rapid cycling), turn it off immediately and call a tech.
6. Shock.
Storm water plus organic debris equals algae waiting to happen. 2 to 3 gallons of liquid chlorine for a typical residential pool, more for bigger ones.
7. Backwash and clean the filter after 24 hours.
The filter is doing a lot of work. Help it out.
What Insurance Probably Covers
Pool damage insurance is a maze. Generally:
- Wind damage to the screen enclosure: usually covered
- Tree falling on the screen: usually covered
- Hail damage to the cover: maybe covered, depending on policy
- Lightning damage to equipment: usually covered if you can prove it
- Pool popping out of ground due to draining: usually NOT covered
- Flood water in the pool: usually NOT covered unless you have flood insurance
Document everything with photos before the storm if possible. Equipment pad, screen condition, pool surface. After-photos for damage are useless without before-photos for context.
A Few Things Locally Specific
Nocatee and Shearwater have HOA rules about pre-storm preparation. Some require pool covers to be removed or secured a specific way. Check your community's storm prep guide.
Riverside and beach communities (Ponte Vedra Beach, St. Augustine Beach) get salt spray inland during big storms. Plan to do a salt-cell flush 1 to 2 weeks after a hurricane if you have a saltwater system, because the salt levels will be off.
Newer construction in RiverTown and SilverLeaf with younger trees has less debris risk but more debris from active construction sites a few blocks over. Drive around your neighborhood and look at what's loose at the closest active build.
The Boring Truth
The pool owners who lose the least to hurricanes are the ones who do the boring stuff before the storm and resist the urge to do dramatic stuff during it. Lower water 6 inches, secure loose items, power down, ride it out. That's most of the win.
Want someone to handle the pre-storm prep for you? We do storm prep visits for [pool service in St. Johns, FL](/service-areas/st-johns-county) starting 48 hours before any named system threatens Northeast Florida.
