The toll is staggering. So far, the Coast Guard and other government agencies have removed 1,968 vessels from Florida waters that were “displaced” by Hurricane Irma in September – meaning they sank or were damaged so badly that they couldn’t be moved by their owners. (Some 1,434 of these were from the Florida Keys.) And more boats are being added to that total every day.
The Coast Guard is working with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to remove the boats based on their potential environmental impact. But they also are urging boat owners to hire salvage companies to recover their vessels.
Boat owners can release ownership of their boats through a waiver from the Florida Fish and Wildlife people; there’s a Vessel Removal Hotline at 305 985-3744 for more information. Read more:
