HOUSTON, TX, November 3, 2008 – When Hurricane Ike roared ashore at Galveston, Texas, in the early morning hours on September 13, thousands of recreational boats stood in harm’s way.  Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) has captured the storm’s devastating impact on the recreational boating community with exclusive video shot at local marinas and boat clubs.  This footage, captured with the assistance of the BoatUS Marine Insurance Catastrophe Team as it recovered boats and processed claims, is available for sharing and downloading at http://www.BoatUS.com/podcasts

BoatUS estimates that nearly 15,000 boats in Texas were affected by the storm, totaling approximately $175 million in damage. Another $25 million in damage to recreational boats occurred in other states along the storm’s path.

“We hope that every boater and marine professional in the hurricane belt will view this footage so we can learn from Ike and always try to improve our hurricane plans,” said BoatUS Director of Public Affairs Scott Croft. 

In addition, a collection of over 1000 post-storm photos and Catastrophe Team blog is available online at the BoatUS “Hurricane Resource Center” at http://www.BoatUS.com/hurricanes, which offers free planning materials including a hurricane preparation worksheet, an in-depth Guide to Preparing Boats and Marinas for Hurricanes, and checklists for what to do before and after a hurricane strikes.  Sample hurricane plans for boat and yacht clubs as well as up-to-the-minute storm tracking tools with live satellite images are also offered. 

###

About BoatUS:
BoatUS – Boat Owners Association of The United States – is the nation’s leading advocate for recreational boaters providing its 650,000 members with a wide array of consumer services. For membership information visit http://www.BoatUS.com or call 800-395-2628.