[September 02, 2010]

Nationwide Insurance Urges Boat Owners to Protect Against Hurricane Earl

Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company is urging boat owners to take steps now to prevent potential damage from Hurricane Earl.

As weather alerts and reports from around the country track the storm patterns, Nationwide has people and resources in place to respond quickly to customers' needs. Storm centers are planned for areas hardest hit to receive and handle claims from customers. Policyholders may call the claims hotline or contact their agents to find locations. Pallets of relief supplies are ready, if needed, for distribution to temporary storm centers once those locations are established.

"Claims specialists are positioned and ready to be deployed," said Ken Enscoe, Nationwide's director of catastrophe claims operations. "We are preparing so that immediately following the event we can have claims specialists in place to support policyholders."

Nationwide offers the following suggestions for boat owners to consider taking now to help prepare:

• Read and understand your insurance policy.
• Know your local and national weather surces and monitor them continuously. Get into the habit of reading weather signs and monitoring the weather.
• If possible, remove the boat from the water and move it away from the coast.
• If your boat is on a hydro hoist or boat lift, secure it to the lift and raise the lift as high as possible.
• If you have time, have the boat removed from the water by a marina. If you do not have a trailer, have the boat anchored to the ground.
• If your boat must be left in the water, the preferred location is a hurricane hole. Check with your local marina for the best location. Use at least three anchors.
• If the boat must be left at the dock, double the mooring lines and secure it so it cannot hit the dock.
• Remove all electronics, fishing gear, canvas covers and any loose items. If you own a sailboat, remove the sails and don't store them on the boat.

About Nationwide

Nationwide, based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest and strongest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the U.S. and is rated A+ by A.M. Best. The company provides a full range of personalized insurance and financial services, including car insurance, motorcycle, boat, homeowners, life insurance, farm, commercial insurance, administrative services, annuities, mortgages, mutual funds, pensions, long-term savings plans and health and productivity services. For more information, visit www.nationwide.com.

Nationwide and the Nationwide Framework are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. On Your Side is a service mark of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.

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