According to Boat Owner’s Association of The United States (BoatUS), Hurricane Sandy damaged more than 65,000 recreational vessels with estimated losses from this damage expected to top $650 million dollars. That would make October’s Superstorm the single largest disaster to befall the recreational boating industry since the association began keeping records in 1966.
"We’ve never seen anything like it, said Scott Croft, AVP of Public Affairs for BoatUS. “The scope of the damage to boats is unprecedented, affecting large areas from the Atlantic seaboard as far inland as the Great Lakes, with the majority of damage in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut. The combination of boats stored ashore at low elevations and record high surge levels caused hundreds, if not thousands, of boats to float away into neighborhoods, parks and marshes. The tri-state coastline left no place for the surge to go, but up. While some boats that stayed in the slips did fine, other boats tied to floating docks simply lifted off too-short pilings and floated away – still tied to the dock. Some vessels never made it out of their slip and rest on the bottom."
%pullstart%"The tri-state coastline left no place for the surge to go, but up. While some boats that stayed in the slips did fine, other boats tied to floating docks simply lifted off too-short pilings and floated away – still tied to the dock." – Scott Croft, BoatUS%pullend%BoatUS estimates over 32,000 boats were damaged in NY, followed by New Jersey’s 25,000, Connecticut’s 2,500 and 6,000 remaining in various states. Dollar damage to recreational boats (only) in New York is estimated at $324 million, followed by $242 million in New Jersey and $23 million in Connecticut.
By comparison, the single largest storm damage event previously affecting recreational vessels was 2011’s Hurricane Irene with approximately $500 million in damage to boats. In the 2005 storm season, combined boating damage from Hurricane Wilma and Katrina was estimated at over $700 million.
Estimates of the ultimate cost of Superstorm Sandy to the overall United States economy currently exceed $60 billion.
