By William C. Winslow

Opinions about climate change don’t matter; the physical destruction from hurricanes, floods, droughts, and forest fires is everywhere. Worldwide changes in climate and the long-lasting effects from it (rather than short-term changes in weather) hit everyone hard. Boaters are no exception.

Warming oceans is the key to understanding what’s going on. Warmer water expands and floods low level coastal areas while fueling intensive hurricanes. Think of the foul weather that brought coastal devastation to Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas in 2018, racking up billions of dollars of damage to marine facilities and boats. The Florida Office of Insurance Regulators reports $11 billion in damages as of November 2018. Someone is paying for all of that — you see that someone each time you look in the mirror.

Marine insurance companies aren’t in business to give away money, so premiums are bound to rise. If agents I talked with are accurate in predicting doubling or tripling premiums in hurricane-prone areas, some boaters may try to save by raising deductibles or under insuring their vessels. In the event of a loss, that comes right out of the boater’s bank (or food budget).

Taxes on the local, state, and/or federal level pay for restoring devastated communities and providing aid. If taxes aren’t sufficient to rebuild infrastructures, borrowing will be done and interest will be paid.

Federal flood insurance for your home? The rates will go up when payouts exceed premiums, and to keep rates affordable, a government subsidy may be needed (hello taxes or loans). Besides, the payouts never seem to cover what homeowners lose, and they often take way too long to arrive, causing some homeowners to turn to public assistance. (Same with renters’ insurance.)

Along with the destructive forces of tropical storms and hurricanes, warmer waters present coastal communities and states with other life-threatening and expensive hazards. As sea temperatures rise, water expands and needs to go somewhere — water doesn’t care if it floods the streets and erodes property along its path. Cities like Miami now experience major flooding in the off season, making water a year-round threat. Who’ll buy a home where the “King Tide” reaches?

On the opposite end of the devastating effects of water is drought. It plays havoc with rivers and inland lakes (human-made and natural). Some shorelines have receded 50 percent in California, Arizona, and New Mexico, leaving boat facilities high and dry and local economies shattered.

What’s to be done? Doing nothing will be costly on a personal, government, and global level, so get going!

Talk with your marine insurance agent about a policy that covers climate change. Put the most money into hull damage or replacement, as liability may not be a major factor in hurricane claims. Choose a policy (or policies) covering salvage, trailers, and haul out charges.

Check your marina’s hurricane policies, particularly who is responsible for what (usually you have the obligations to be insured and act as a responsible owner to avoid causing damage). My two cents: Keep your boat in a facility with floating docks, with a minimum of 18-foot pilings.

Be an informed local citizen. Find out what the contingency plans are for your municipality and region, including escape routes and emergency numbers. Question legislators on what taxes are earmarked for protection against climate change and recovery; find out what special bond issues will cover. (Miami voters approved a $400 million bond issue to finance projects that protect against sea level rise.) Challenge plans that don’t address the greater good — paying for beach enrichment that benefits only a few oceanfront property owners will wash out to sea within a year or two without ever addressing climate change.

Know your candidates for all offices. “Where do you stand on action to combat climate change?” is not an esoteric inquiry. It’s a kitchen table issue! Candidates needs to be committed to working towards solving the problems to earn your vote.

Act globally. Pick an organization (or two) working to combat the threat to our planet and support it financially or by volunteering. The more we do to prevent or minimize the effects of climate change, the less we’ll have to spend on picking up the pieces left behind by it.

The author is the Division 5 – Staff Officer Public Affairs, First District Southern Region, for the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, the all-volunteer, non-military arm of the Coast Guard, teaching boating safety education and conducting search and rescue operations. Visit http://cgaux.org/ to join the Auxiliary or for class information.