ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The first major hurricane to strike the U.S. in 2018, Hurricane Florence, is expected to make landfall in the Carolinas potentially as a Category 4 storm later this week. Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) has issued hurricane-preparation alerts to its members in the Southeast and is urging all recreational boaters to begin making preparations to prevent damage to their vessels. Boat owners can start by tracking the storm with the free BoatUS.com/app (after downloading, go to settings to enable “push notifications” for your region).

Hurricane planning help is available online at BoatUS.com/Hurricanes, including:

1. “Boater's Guide to Preparing Boats and Marinas for Hurricanes” has details on what you can do to protect your boat in a slip, dock, canal, on a lift, in a dry-storage rack, mooring, anchor or hurricane hole.

2. “Hurricane Preparation Worksheet”: Use this one-page worksheet to adapt to your own circumstances. Then be sure to give a copy to your marina owner/manager.

3. “What Works: A Guide to Preparing Marinas, Yacht Clubs and Boats for Hurricanes” is a good resource for marina and boat club staff or anyone charged with preparing a boating facility for a storm.

Hauling out a vessel ashore has been proven to be a significant factor in reducing the chances for hurricane-related boat damage. BoatUS policyholders may easily file hurricane haulout claims or hurricane damage claims using the BoatUS App or online.

The hurricane guide information comes from the BoatUS Marine Insurance Catastrophe (CAT) Team, a leader in recreational boat hurricane preparedness with more than 30 years of post-hurricane boat salvage experience. For more, go to www.BoatUS.com/hurricanes.