Storm Cleanup & Hurricane Prep
Coastal pool prep before a named storm and full clean-up after it across Brunswick and New Hanover counties — debris, chemistry reset, equipment check.
This coast gets hit. North Carolina averages a landfalling tropical cyclone roughly once every four years, and recent history here is not abstract:
- Hurricane Florence (September 2018) dropped over 23 inches of rain on Wilmington — the most from any single system on record.
- Hurricane Isaias made landfall at Ocean Isle Beach on 3 August 2020 as a Category 1 with 85 mph sustained winds. It cut power to roughly 53,000 Brunswick and 85,000 New Hanover customers, pushed surge into Southport’s marina, and spawned an EF1 tornado at Bolivia — where we are based.
- Tropical Storm Debby (August 2024) produced the second-highest water level recorded at Wrightsville Beach’s Mercer Pier since Florence.
Before a named storm
- Do not drain the pool. An empty pool can float out of the ground when the water table rises. This is the single most expensive mistake people make.
- Turn off power to the pump and equipment at the breaker.
- Bring in loose furniture and anything that can become airborne.
- Do not cover the pool — a cover catches debris and tears.
- Balance the chemistry and shock beforehand, so the water starts the storm in good condition.
After
Debris removal, chemistry reset, filter clean and a full equipment check before anything is switched back on. Pumps that get flooded need inspecting before they are powered up, not after.
If the pool has gone green — which it often has, from organic debris and rainwater — that becomes a green-to-clean recovery.
Honest note
We publish this because it is the call we get most in a bad week, not because anyone searches for it in advance. If a storm is coming and you are not a customer, the checklist above is still yours to use.
We cover Wilmington, Leland, Southport, Oak Island, Carolina Beach and the surrounding area — see our service area, or read more about pool service in Wilmington.