Pictured: Damage from 2017's Hurricane Irma, courtesy of BoatUS

Just a week into the official kick-off of hurricane season, Tropical Storm Cristobal initiated the first major storm for Florida by circling right up the gulf coast with heavy rainfall, flooding to neighborhood streets and gusty winds. The World Meteorological Association assigns names to storms whose wind speeds exceed a threshold of 39 mph, and Cristobol was deemed early on powerful enough for designation–bringing the tally of named storms in the 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season so far to three–with Arthur and Bertha occurring before the official June 1 start of hurricane season. According to AccuWeather, no other year on record has seen three named Atlantic storms so early on; on average, the third storm forms around August 13. 

While it’s impossible to predict where the next major storm will strike, The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has projected that this hurricane season will be "busy" and "above-normal" in the Atlantic Ocean–with about 16 named storms, six to 10 hurricanes, and three to six of those reaching Category 3 or higher forecasted this year. 

Consequently, Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) urges recreational boaters to be hyper-aware of the above-normal climate activity this coming season. The BoatUS Marine Insurance Catastrophe (CAT) Team says Cristobal was a wake-up call for boaters to be ready. “We’ve now had three storms and the hurricane season has barely begun,” Scott Croft, vice president of public affairs, told SRQ. “You can’t wait until the fourth storm to put a hurricane plan in place for the boat. Talk to your marina now. And if you’re going to keep the boat at home, find a location away from trees. Remember bridges lock down early.”

BoatUS currently offers free tools, tips and information to help put a hurricane plan in place that can prevent damage to boats. These free materials include a BoatUS Magazine Hurricane Preparation Guide with information on what to expect, where to keep a boat, how to find and fix potential breaking points, develop a hurricane plan, and more. In addition, there is a Boater's Guide to Preparing Boats and Marinas for Hurricanes for details on what to do to protect a boat in a slip, dock, canal, on a lift, in a dry-storage rack, mooring, anchor or hurricane hole. A Hurricane Preparation Worksheet is also available to easily manage hurricane prep efforts, which boaters can then share with their marina owner/manager. Additionally, a sampling of hurricane plans for various marinas and yacht clubs—that can be specially adapted for local facilities—is available for download, as are a new series of hurricane-planning videos/tutorials with simple projects, such as how to properly set lines for a boat that will remain in the water when a storm surges. For the next inevitable storm, boat owners can track incoming storms with the free BoatUS.com/App radar for iOS and Android devices. (After downloading, go to settings to enable “push notifications” for your region.)

For more local tips, fact sheets and public service announcements for before, during, and after the storm, visit Florida Health’s Hurricane and Severe Weather Information or Florida Disaster to find your County’s Emergency Management contact page. 

Pictured: Damage from 2017's Hurricane Irma, courtesy of BoatUS

For more information, visit BoatUS.com/Hurricanes