Gulf boaters prepare for Marco and Laura

Tropical Storm Laura is forecast to reach hurricane status when it hits the Gulf Coast on Wednesday © NOAA

A one-two punch with two tropical storms bearing down on the Gulf Coast this week is getting the attention of recreational boaters, leading some to wisely haul out their vessels to a safe location and make storm preparations. Tropical Storm Marco, expected to run along the Louisiana coast tomorrow, and Tropical Storm Laura, currently forecast to become a Category 1 hurricane (sustained winds of 74 to 95 mph) when it strikes nearly the same Texas-Louisiana border region on Wednesday, are expected to produce significant rain, wind and storm surge.

Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) is helping boaters prepare with free tools, tips and information at BoatUS.com/Hurricane-Prep to help put a hurricane plan in place that can help prevent boat damage.

Planning materials include a BoatUS Magazine Hurricane Preparation Guide with information on what to expect, where to keep a boat, and how to develop a hurricane plan; a Boater's Guide to Preparing Boats and Marinas for Hurricanes with details on what you can do to protect your boat in a slip, dock, canal, on a lift, in a dry-storage rack, mooring, or hurricane hole; and a Hurricane Preparation Worksheet to easily manage your boat's hurricane prep efforts and share with your marina owner/manager. Also offered are hurricane-planning videos with simple, but critical, projects you can do yourself to prepare.

Boaters can monitor both storm tracks with the free BoatUS.com/App for iOS and Android devices. (After downloading, go to settings to enable "push notifications" for your region.)

For more information, visit BoatUS.com/Hurricane-Prep.