What to do for your pond during a hurricane

To all of the pond owners that are in the path of a hurricane, our thoughts are with you.  Having lived thru a few big hurricanes, here are some things we've learned regarding preparing your pond for a storm:

• Lower the water levels.  With all the rain, this lessens the risk of losing fish due to a flood.
• Remove skimmer lids.  Heavy winds can blow them away, possibly causing damage to windows.  
• Disassemble any fiberglass urns, or make sure they have plenty of gravel inside.  These light weight fountains are a blessing, but they need added weight to stay in place during intense wind.  
• Cover any GFI outlets.  Maintain separation of water and electricity!
• Consider removing cherished potted plants.  You can put them in a bucket or kiddie pool in the garage until the storm has passed, the big risk to them is damage from intense wind.  
• If you are in a flood zone, remove fish to a holding tank on higher ground.  If flood waters cover the pond, it is entirely possible that the fish may just swim away.  
• Have a back-up aerator on hand.  In the event of a power-outage, this can be connected to a gas-powered generator to supply oxygen to your pond.  During an emergency, when every watt of electricity is crucial, an aerator is a wise choice; it will use less electricity than your pond pump.      

​After the storm:

• Clean out any debris from the pond.    
• In case of a power outage, be prepared with a generator to run the pump/aerator and prevent fish loss due to low oxygen.  
• Check the pond for damage.  There will probably plant damage, and possibly liner tears from falling tree limbs, lost fish, shifted rocks, and broken accessories.  

​Finally, be safe.  The next few months might be a challenge.  We can't control mother nature, but we can do our best to minimize the impact of extreme weather events.  

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