NEWS From BoatUS
Boat Owners Association of The United States
880 S. Pickett St., Alexandria, VA 22304
BoatUS Press Room at http://www.BoatUS.com/pressroom
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact: D. Scott Croft, 703-461-2864, SCroft@BoatUS.com
Photo Available at: http://www.BoatUS.com/pressroom/preview ... es/959.jpg
Photo Caption: Washed up boats, like these sailboats resting on power lines after Hurricane Sandy, can create big headaches for emergency response managers and delay a community's recovery.
Emergency Managers, Local Governments Offered Free Hurricane Planning Materials for Municipal Marinas, Boat Clubs and Boaters
BoatUS Helps Communities Weather the Storm
ALEXANDRIA, Va., December 11, 2013 - Over 65,000 recreational boats were damaged or destroyed in Hurricane Sandy, which left hundreds of storm-tossed boats high and dry in the middle of busy street intersections, on public lands, or leaning perilously on overhead power lines. With boats in the way, response efforts were slowed, requiring time consuming and expensive removal and salvage efforts often at public expense, delaying power restoration and a community's overall recovery. Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) has a range of free hurricane planning information developed for boat owners and marinas that is also useful for local governments and emergency managers to help communities minimize damage, preserve resources and speed recovery efforts. All materials can be found at http://www.BoatUS.com/hurricanes.
"We've been a national leader in teaching folks how to prepare recreational boats for storms for over 30 years, and we want local governments to know they can make a difference and help speed their own recovery by actively planning ahead," said BoatUS Director of Technical Services Beth Leonard. "Now is a perfect time to reach out to their waterfront boating community."
BoatUS.com/hurricanes offers easily downloadable storm planning materials including up-to-the-minute storm tracking tools with live satellite images, a hurricane preparation worksheetand an in-depth Boater's Guide to Preparing Boats and Marinas for Hurricanes, as well as checklists for what to do before and after a hurricane strikes.
Local emergency managers can download a sampling of marina hurricane preparation plans to see how their local marinas compare, learn about the value of strapping down boats stored ashore, and view features on why some marinas fare better than others, all at the website http://www.BoatUS.com/hurricanes.
In addition, a series of three online webinars developed specifically for marina owners detail the lessons learned from Superstorm Sandy as well as how to store boats ashore or in the water. Developed through a partnership with BoatUS and the Association of Marina Industries, they are available by going to http://marinaassociation.org/training/o ... ns-learned -hurricane-sandy and paying a small fee.
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