00:00From sunken hulls to storm-tossed vessels, derelict boats, stowaway, hidden hazards,
00:08and with hurricane season peaking, state officials are racing to remove what's already out there.
00:14If it sinks, it's going to cause environmental hazards. It can be a threat to seagrass,
00:21it can be a threat to marine life, obviously a threat to navigation and general public safety,
00:29especially after a storm comes through.
00:31In the wake of hurricanes Helene and Milton, hundreds of boats were damaged, displaced, or abandoned,
00:39left in marinas, mangroves, even backyard canals.
00:42Now the sailboat you see over my shoulder is about 40 feet long.
00:46A boat that size is really expensive to haul out of these waters. It can cost up to $25,000.
00:52Florida's derelict vessel program runs year-round, clearing out existing wrecks and preventing new ones,
00:58with programs like VTIP, which lets eligible boaters voluntarily turn in vessels for free.
01:05All they have to do is keep the boat in at-risk condition or better,
01:09and the state will remove it and dispose of it at no cost to them.
01:12But this is a growing problem across hurricane-prone states.
01:16In Texas, police fast-track removals after finding boats scattered across town.
01:21North Carolina has removed over 400 derelict vessels since 2018.
01:27From Texas to North Carolina, officials across the region agree.
01:31They're not just eyesores, they're obstacles to storm prep, recovery, and coastal resilience.
01:38For AccuWeather, I'm Leslie Hudson reporting.
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