Updated September 2026 — rewritten by Suns Out Buns Out Pools with photos from our own jobs.
Around Conroe, Spring and The Woodlands, storms don’t need to be hurricanes to wreck a pool. A few inches of rain, a pine-needle blowout and a day without power is enough to turn clear water green by the weekend. Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30, but spring and summer thunderstorms do most of the damage we clean up. Here’s what actually helps.
Before the Storm (1–3 Days Out)
- Don’t drain the pool. It’s the most common mistake. Water weight holds the shell in place against groundwater; a drained pool in saturated soil can shift or lift. Leave the level where it is.
- Bring in loose items. Furniture, toys, umbrellas and cleaners become projectiles — and anything that ends up in the water scratches plaster and clogs lines.
- Get chlorine up. Storm runoff carries debris, fertilizer and organics that eat chlorine fast. Starting with a strong, balanced level buys time.
- Clean baskets and check the filter. Go in with empty skimmer and pump baskets and a clean filter so the system can handle the debris load afterward.
- Know how to shut off power to the equipment. If your pad is in a low spot, find the breaker now, not when water is already rising.
During the Storm
If flooding reaches the equipment pad, turn off power to the pool equipment at the breaker and leave it off. Pumps, heaters and salt systems should not run submerged. Otherwise, let the pool ride it out; there’s nothing useful to do outside in lightning.
After the Storm (First 24–48 Hours)
- Inspect equipment before turning it back on. If anything was underwater, have it checked before powering up — a flooded motor or control board can fail, or become a hazard, the moment it’s energized.
- Get the debris out first. Net the leaves and branches, empty baskets, then brush. Chemicals work poorly on a pool full of organic material.
- Test and shock. Rain dilutes chemistry and runoff adds contaminants. Test, rebalance, and shock to get ahead of algae.
- Run the filter hard. Longer run times for a few days, and clean the filter when pressure climbs — it will, quickly.
- Lower the water if it’s over the skimmer. Only bring it back down to normal level; this is different from draining.
When a Storm Pool Goes Green
Miss the first 48 hours — a trip, a power outage, a busy week — and Texas heat does the rest. These are pools we brought back after exactly that. None of them were drained.
Left Sitting After the Weather
Algae took over the ledge, steps and main body in days.
Same Pool, Recovered
Treated, vacuumed and filtered back to clear — no drain.
If that’s where you are, our green-to-clean service in Conroe and Spring handles it, and equipment repair covers anything the water got into.
Mistakes That Make Storm Damage Worse
- Draining the pool “to make room” for rain.
- Restarting flooded equipment without an inspection.
- Adding chemicals before removing the debris.
- Waiting a week to deal with it — algae doesn’t wait.
If the Power Stays Out for Days
An extended outage is often worse for a pool than the storm itself. With no pump running there’s no circulation, no filtration and — on salt pools — no chlorine being generated. In Texas heat, algae can take hold within a few days.
- Brush the walls and floor daily to keep water moving and stop algae from settling in.
- Add liquid chlorine by hand to keep a residual; a salt system can’t help without power.
- Keep debris out with a net — the skimmer isn’t pulling anything while the pump is off.
- When power returns, check equipment before restarting and run the filter long to catch up.
After Heavy Rain on a Salt Pool
A lot of rain dilutes the salt as well as the chlorine. Test the salt level before adding any — if you lowered the water after the storm, salt went out with it. Adding salt blindly can push levels too high, which causes its own problems for the cell.
Flooded Equipment Pad: What to Check
- Motor and pump: water in the motor housing means it needs inspection before it runs.
- Heater: gas and heat-pump units both have controls that shouldn’t be energized after submersion.
- Salt system power center and automation panel: electronics that got wet need checking.
- Mud and debris in the pump basket and filter, which will clog everything on restart.
Common Questions
Should I drain my pool before a hurricane or big storm?
No. Leave the water level where it is. The water’s weight helps hold the pool shell in place, and a drained pool in saturated ground can shift or lift.
Should I turn off my pool pump during a storm?
If there’s any risk of flooding at the equipment pad, turn the equipment off at the breaker. Otherwise circulation helps, but equipment should never run while submerged.
How soon after a storm should I clean my pool?
Within 24 to 48 hours. Remove debris first, then test, rebalance and shock, and run the filter longer than normal for a few days.
On weekly service, post-storm cleanup is just part of the next visit. Storm hit your pool in Conroe, Spring or The Woodlands? Call or text Steven at (832) 447-4236.