How to clean your dirty swimming pool after hurricanes Milton and Helene

The rain and floodwaters from hurricanes Milton and Helene have caused problems in Tampa Bay homeowners’ backyard pool oases.

It may not be safe to swim in your pool after the storms because of the risk of bacteria and other contaminants, not to mention large amounts of debris.

If you have a pool at your home and are wondering how to get it back in shape, here are some key steps to take.

After a bad storm or flooding, the saturated ground can put “upward pressure on your pool shell,” according to Texas-based pool company Backyard Oasis.

Emptying a pool after a hurricane can lead to your pool “‘floating’ or ‘popping’ out of the ground due to an elevated water table,” says Leslie’s pool company.

It’s important to clear debris before adding cleaning chemicals to your pool. Use a pool net or skimmer, then check the skimmer basket, main drains, robot cleaners and pump baskets.

It’s best to get the pool loaded with chlorine, especially if you’re without power and the pool hasn’t been running, which can make it even dirtier. Some local stores have had chlorine shortages recently; call before you go to make sure it’s in stock.

Leslie’s advises bringing the Free Available Chlorine level up to at least 5-10 parts per million using dichlor shock or liquid chlorine. This will likely require double the amount of chlorine you use for normal maintenance.

If you do have power, turn off the breakers on your pool equipment, then reset the pool breakers on your main house power box in case they tripped.

Backyard Oasis suggests checking the pressure gauge on your filters, too. If it’s close to or over 30 psi, turn off your equipment and clean your filters. “The pump probably sucked up a lot of debris before the equipment went off,” they say.

Once you’ve cleared all debris, got the power reset and added lots of chlorine, let the pool run constantly until the water returns to its normal, clear state. Do not swim in it at any point before this.

Once it looks clear, it should be good to go.

But Backyard Oasis notes that potentially dangerous organisms like Cryptosporidium and E. coli can be resistant to chlorine. If there is any chance the floodwater that got into your pool has been in contact with dead animals, or any chance that sewage entered your pool, Backyard Oasis recommends dosing with additional pool products like Sea Klear PRS (stages 1 and 2).

If you’re still worried, get some bacteria test strips from your local pool store to make sure the pool is free of contaminants.

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