Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Harvey have left a big portion of the United States reeling across the East Coast and Texas. Our sympathies go out to those who were hurt by the storm. Aside from the damage to health, homes, and businesses, plenty of boaters are now contemplating sunken and damaged vessels, drowned engines, and insurance claims. Here are two articles to help with recovery, plus a video on how to save an outboard that has been underwater.

A hurricane can take boats to places they were never meant to be; Sea Tow can help you get them back. Photo courtesy of FEMA.

A hurricane can take boats to places they were never meant to be; but that doesn't mean they can't be salvaged. Photo courtesy of FEMA.



Important note: If your engine is still submerged, it may be better to leave it underwater until you've made your preparations—once it's exposed to air, damage sets in almost immediately.

Recovering from a hurricane is always a long process, but there's a lot to be learned in the aftermath about how to mitigate damage and prepare better for next time—learn more in Hurricane Preparation for Boaters. Best of luck to all.

Editor's Note: The boats.com team would like to encourage our readers to help those affected by Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Harvey by visiting the Red Cross, or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS to make a donation. All donations will aid in relief efforts as the Red Cross works to help people recover from this disaster. If you're interested in lending a hand at relief shelters, or assisting in the distribution of food, water, clean-up items and additional supplies, you can register online as a volunteer. 

This article originally published November 2012 and was updated in September 2017.

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