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New Florida hotline open for boats displaced after Hurricane Ian

Several agencies trying to get displaced boats off Florida waterways

Sailboat washed up against the sea wall near downtown St. Augustine. (Copyright 2022 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.)

ORLANDO, Fla. – Hurricane Ian’s damage extended to Florida’s waterways, with boats displaced, damaged or even sunk by the storm.

A new hotline is now open for people to report those displaced boats along Florida’s waterways.

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Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials said they are trying to determine exactly how many boats were displaced and/or damaged by Ian.

Derelict vessels can be a threat to the environment and a hazard on the water for other boats. They also want to help boat owners find missing boats and get them squared away.

News 6 found several vessels that were displaced in Brevard County after Ian, though not as many as during Hurricane Irma in 2017.

FWC said federal agencies like the U.S. Coast Guard and the EPA are working with state and local agencies to deal with these vessels.

The Hurricane Ian vessel hotline is 850-488-5600.

It’s open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Callers need to be able to provide the vessel’s registration number and current location, as well as a detailed description.

FWC said owners of displaced vessels who don’t have the money to fix their boat, or if it is damaged beyond repair, can request to turn over ownership of the vessel by calling the same number.


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