With peak 2021 Atlantic Hurricane Season approaching, are recreational boaters prepared?
by Scott Croft 21 Aug 15:14 UTC
The storm preparation information from BoatUS was gleaned from nearly four decades of BoatUS Catastrophe Team experience salvaging vessels after hurricanes. © Scott Croft
It was back on May 22 when Tropical Storm Ana became the first named storm of the 2021 Atlantic Hurricane Season - and also the seventh consecutive year that a storm formed before the official start of the season.
Today, eight named storms later, and with Tropical Storm Henri setting its sights on New England, the peak of the official June 1 to November 30 hurricane season is approaching. Up to 21 named storms are predicted this year, according to NOAA Climate Prediction Center's midseason report, with the potential for 7 to 10 to reach hurricane strength (winds of 74 mph or greater), qualifying this as an "above-average" season.
The nation's largest advocacy, services and safety group, BoatUS, is urging boaters to be ready and is offering free recreational boat-, yacht club-, and marina-preparation information at BoatUS.com/Hurricanes. Also offered is an extensive library of hurricane-preparation videos and BoatUS Magazine articles containing proven tips and techniques amassed from the BoatUS Catastrophe Team's nearly four decades of experience. "How to Find and Fix Potential Breaking Points on Your Boat" and "How Not to Read a Hurricane Map" are just a couple of the helpful short reads available.
More extensive downloadable guides include "BoatUS Magazine Hurricane Preparations" and "Preparing Boats and Marinas for Hurricanes." The easy-to-download "BoatUS Hurricane Preparation Worksheet" is a great checklist to have while getting a hurricane plan in place. The website also features an Active Storm Tracker, and to help keep boaters up-to-date on the direction and intensity of incoming storms, the BoatUS App offers text alerts anywhere you go.