Published November 5, 2026 · WaterCare Crew
How to Check Your Sprinkler System After a Storm in Northeast Florida
The short version
To check your sprinkler system after a storm, start with power: make sure the controller and well pump are on and no breakers have tripped. Then run each zone one at a time and watch for broken heads, gushing water, soggy spots, or zones that will not start. Clear sand and debris from the heads, look over the backflow device, and reset the controller's date, time, and program if the power went out.
Hurricane season in Florida runs through November 30, and even a strong afternoon storm can knock a system out of shape. Here is what to look at, in order.
Is It Safe to Run My Sprinklers Right After a Storm?
Give the yard time to drain first. Running zones over standing water hides leaks and wastes water your lawn does not need. If your well pump, control box, or any outdoor electrical equipment was underwater or took a direct hit, leave the power off and have a licensed professional look at it before you turn it back on.
What Should I Check on the Controller?
- Is the display on? A blank or flickering screen after a storm can mean surge damage.
- Are the date and time correct? Many controllers lose their clock after a long outage.
- Is your program still there? Some controllers fall back to a factory default that waters far more often than the rules allow.
- Is it set to your assigned watering day and allowed hours under the current watering restrictions?
How Do I Spot Broken Heads and Cracked Lines?
Run each zone by itself for a few minutes and walk it. Look for heads that are tilted, buried in sand, or not popping up, water bubbling up from the ground, a spray pattern that is weaker than usual, and soft or sunken soil near trees that moved in the wind. Uprooted trees and shifted landscaping are a common cause of cracked lateral lines.
What About My Well Pump After a Power Outage?
Power surges when the grid comes back can damage a pump control box, pressure switch, or the pump motor itself. Watch for a pump that runs but builds no pressure, a pump that cycles on and off every few seconds, a breaker that keeps tripping, or water that comes out cloudy or sandy. If a breaker trips again after one reset, leave it off and call for service rather than resetting it again.
Do Storms Change My Watering Schedule?
Heavy rain means your lawn can go without irrigation for a while, and a working rain sensor or smart controller will skip cycles on its own. Watering restrictions still apply after a storm. In Flagler, St. Johns, Putnam, and Duval Counties, the St. Johns River Water Management District's Phase III water shortage order limits watering to one day a week, with no watering between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. and no more than one hour per zone. Volusia County follows the district's standard schedule, which is one day a week once Eastern Standard Time begins. The rules apply to private wells as well as utility water.
When Should I Call a Professional?
Call for help if a zone will not run after you reset the controller, if you find a leak you cannot see the source of, or if anything on the well side is acting differently than before the storm. A WaterCare technician turns on the whole system, checks every zone, tests the pump and controls, and tells you what needs attention now and what can wait. See how our residential irrigation repair and maintenance service works, or visit the WaterCare Irrigation and Well home page. Call (386) 627-1689 to schedule a post-storm check.