A Checklist of Safety Precautions for Your Pool or Yard
BY LISA HALLETT TAYLOR (www.thespruce.com)
If a storm or hurricane is approaching, the last thing you want to worry about is what to do with your swimming pool, patio furniture, plants, and yard. Basically, everything outside your house.
Post this checklist on your refrigerator or bulletin board so you’ll know what to do to secure your pool or spa during the anxious hours before a storm hits or prior to evacuation.
- 01of 11
Outdoor Furnishings: Bring Inside or Store in Pool
Chairs are stored in a hotel pool before a hurricane hits Holguin, Cuba. Chris Cheadle/Getty Images
Besides saving your patio furnishings, outdoor toys, potted plants, pool cleaning equipment and gardening equipment, you’ll want to bring these items inside to prevent them from damaging your house or other parts of your property if they get battered about by strong winds and heavy rain. For heavier outdoor objects that can’t easily be brought inside, anchor them to something solid with rope, bungee cord, chains, etc.
Some anxious homeowners in the path of a hurricane throw their patio…MORE
- 02of 11
Do Not Drain Your Swimming Pool
Don’t drain the pool before a storm or hurricane. Lisa Hallett Taylor
Many pool owners believe that draining their swimming pools or spas before a storm hits will keep it from overflowing and flooding their property. Wrong. Properly built or installed pools should be equipped with overflows that will drain excess water.
If you want to empty the water level slightly, lower it no more than 1-2 feet. Otherwise, the hydrostatic pressure can be too strong, possibly causing the pool to “float” or “pop” out of the ground, according to the Official Broward…MORE
- 03of 11
Turn Off Power to the Pool Equipment
Unless safety precautions are taken, the most significant storm damage to your pool can occur with the pump and its motor.
- Turn off the circuit breaker to the pool equipment (pump, motor, lighting, chlorinators, etc.).
- Remove the motor and relocate it to a high-and-dry place inside, away from water and flooding.
- Another solution for saving the pump’s motor: tightly wrap it with plastic and strapping tape or rope.
- 04of 11
Turn Off, Disconnect These Things
Things to turn off before a storm:
- Propane tanks
- Electricalsystem
- Gas
Another possibility, but obviously not right before the storm–install a generator for emergencies.
- 05of 11
Don’t Forget Other Pool Parts
If you have time, remove all loose items from the pool area, including filter house tops, deck lid of filter, etc.
- 06of 11
Grills and Barbecues
If possible, bring in gas or charcoal grills, but never use them inside or store propane tanks inside your home or garage. Chain propane tanks in an upright position to a secure object away from your home, so that it doesn’t get lifted by winds.
- 07of 11
Prune Branches of Trees and Shrubs
Ideally, you should prune dying and weak branches of trees and shrubs throughout the year as part of your regular yard maintenance. If you have a gardener, make sure this is part of his / her maintenance routine.
- 08of 11
Evacuate!
Check local news or websites or The Weather Channel’s state-by-state evacuation updates. Don’t try to be proud or heroic and wait out the storm. If you are told to evacuate, then evacuate!
- 09of 11
After the Storm: CPR for Your Pool
Once you’ve received clearance to return home and have taken care of other more critical and emotional assessments of damage, you can address the pool or spa. You’ll want to:
- Clean out debris from swimming pool to keep it from staining permanently.
- Balance water pH, superchlorinate or shock your pool, and run the filter until the water becomes clear.
- Don’t allow anyone to use your pool right before or after superchlorination.
- It may be tempting if your pool is a disastrous mess, but,…MORE
- 10of 11
Check the Electrical System
Inspect your pool pump and motor for any damage. Let the motor dry for at least 24 hours. If you couldn’t remove your equipment before the storm and it was underwater, get it checked out. When electricity has returned, call a licensed, insured pool repair company to thoroughly inspect your pool and equipment.
- 11of 11
In coastal and inland regions, hurricanes have the potential to cause heavy damage due to floods. If you live in an area that has been hit by a hurricane in the past, you should seriously consider buying flood insurance.
Visit NFIP’s floodsmart.gov site to learn more about flooding risk.