Every June the same question comes up on our route: should I drain the pool before a storm? No. An empty pool in Miami can lift out of the ground when the water table rises, and the weight of the water is what holds the shell in place. Lower it a few inches to make room for rain, but keep it full.
Before the storm, shut off the power to the pump, heater, and lighting at the breaker, and if the equipment pad is exposed, cover it or wrap the motor. Take everything off the deck that can fly: furniture, umbrellas, floats, the skimmer pole. Never throw furniture into the pool to weigh it down; it scratches plaster and stains.
Add a heavy dose of chlorine before the storm hits. Rain and runoff bring debris, dirt, and phosphates, and a pool with a strong chlorine level fights that off far better than one that's barely holding sanitizer.
After the storm, don't turn the equipment on until the pad has dried out and been checked. Skim the big debris by hand, empty the baskets, then run the filter and rebalance. If the water is brown or the level is way up, call us for a post-storm cleanup and we'll bring it back. Seasonal storm prep is part of what we offer, and it's a lot cheaper than a new pump motor.