Swimming Pool Hurricane Preparedness

Living in the warm regions of the Gulf Coast has its many benefits, but Mother Nature can always throw us a loop at a moment's notice and make life interesting for those with swimming pools. Hurricane season for the area starts June 1st and ends November 31st, with September being the prime month for those nasty storms. For the most part, there isn't a whole lot to do to prepare your swimming pool; however, there are a few things to do before a storm makes landfall.
1)  Raise the chlorine levels in your pool approximately 5-10 times the average amount you would typically use to swim in; essentially, you are "shocking" the pool. Use whatever you have on hand, but the easiest to use is liquid (Clorox bleach) or granular (Cal-Hypo or Dichlor) chlorine. Add it to the pool until you reach the desired levels. Brush the surface if using Cal-Hypo as it can bleach out vinyl and colored plastered pools. DO NOT MIX CHEMICALS TOGETHER!
2)  Please turn off all the pool equipment at the circuit breaker and leave it that way until it is safe to turn back on.
3)  Place any outdoor furniture that you do not have any other means to secure into the swimming pool. Be sure to remember to remove this furniture ASAP after the storm is gone. Any metal objects will start to rust and stain the plaster if left too long in the pool.
4)  If possible, start pulling out any large debris that may have fallen into the pool.
5)  DO NOT DRAIN THE POOL! Doing so might pop the pool right out of the ground if it is too saturated with water.
6)  "Shock" the pool again. Restart the main filter pump and run it 24 hours until your pool has cleared up. You might have to clean the filter during this process.
7)  Contact your pool service technician to arrange to clean up or inspect the pool for proper operation.