Homeowners who’ve had wayward yachts on their property since Irma finally see relief.

Crews have salvaged about 1,500 across Florida

HOLLYWOOD – One by one, hundreds of boats shipwrecked by Hurricane Irma are being salvaged from the bottom of lakes and waterways across the state.

That is welcome news to people like Brent Spechler, a Hollywood resident whose lakeside dock was destroyed when a runaway boat slammed into it during the storm.

“I’m grateful that it’s getting done,” Spechler said. “I’m very concerned about the next storm. Irma was a Category 1 storm at best. If it’s a Cat 5, the boats could end up in people’s living rooms.”

The storm that swept through South Florida on Sept. 10 upended more than 1,000 vessels, leaving a massive job for salvage crews that may end up costing taxpayers $20 million based on early estimates, a U.S. Coast Guard official said.

As of Monday, 1,492 boats have been salvaged by both government agencies and vessel owners: — 1,101 from the Florida Keys. — 69 from Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. — 265 from St. Petersburg area. — 57 from the Jacksonville region. Responders are prioritizing vessels based on which pose the biggest environmental threat.

“Vessels that are actively leaking are our top priority,” Coast Guard Cmdr. JoAnne Hanson said.

The cost so far: $12.5 million, with FEMA paying 75 percent of the tab and the state picking up the rest, said Elizabeth

CARLINE JEAN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Dr. Michael Remaly, of Hollywood, is relieved to see boats that sank during Hurricane Irma finally removed seven weeks after the storm.