Marinas warn boat owners ahead of rain, winds associated with Hurricane Helene

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Clearly, flooding is one of the main concerns with Hurricane Helene. In Middle Tennessee, several area marinas have issued a rare warning.

Joey Carlisle says he’s an experienced boat owner.

“My dog and I will go out and my wife and I go out on the weekends sometimes,” Carlisle said.

With that experience, he says, comes knowledge.

“You want to put your bumpers out — all four bumpers out — tie it up tight where it’s not going to be moving side-to-side,” Carlisle added.

When he saw the forecast about Hurricane Helene, he started preparing. His boat is parked in a slip, but he lowered it into the water.

“In my opinion, I wouldn’t want it on a lift right now,” he said. “Because the wind’s going to come beneath it. It’s going to give you even more of a chance of a flip-over.”

Several marinas on Old Hickory Lake and Percy Priest Lake emailed members with this reminder. Cedar Creek Marina warned members to also secure floats and life vests. Experts said that the storm could linger over Tennessee all weekend.

“It brings with that the opportunity for more wind damage, damage to power lines or other infrastructure and possibly the opportunity for localized flooding,” Tennessee Emergency Management Agency Director, Patrick Sheehan, said.

Sheehan added that drivers should watch out for high water on roads, too. Additionally, if your home is prone to flooding and you can get out safely, its a good idea.

Carlisle said that he saw a lot of boat owners at the marina tightening up their vessels on Thursday. Hopefully, that means people are taking this storm seriously and listening to warnings.

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