Preparing for the 2024 Hurricane Season: Lowe's Partners with FLASH to Keep Communities #HurricaneStrong

Researchers are forecasting a very active Atlantic Hurricane season in 2024, with some predicting that it could have the most named storms on record. With that in mind, Lowe's is hard at work to prepare stores, associates, and customers with all they need to be ready for the active hurricane season ahead. In hurricane-prone areas, stores have set up Hurricane Pods with all the items needed to prepare.

FLASH, a non-profit, is the country's leading consumer advocate for strengthening homes and safeguarding families from natural and manmade disasters and one of Lowe's trusted partners. Lowe's Newsroom was able to catch up with the FLASH non-profit CEO, Leslie Chapman-Henderson, to understand how to be best prepared when hurricane season hits near you. 

Newsroom: What should people in hurricane-prone areas do to prepare? 

Our #HurricaneStrong program offers five steps families can follow to prepare for hurricanes. 

Step One is "Safety - Know Your Evacuation Zone"

This step helps you answer the question, "Where will we go to weather the storm?" Suppose you are not in a storm surge zone. In that case, you may be able to safely hunker down at home if you have suitable protective devices like shutters or if you make emergency preparations like boarding up windows and doors. Knowing where to go begins with understanding the location of your evacuation zone. We offer links to each state's maps and evacuation routes to help answer that question.

Step Two is "Preparedness - Make a Plan. Build a Kit"

Once you know where you will take shelter during the storm, it is vital to make a plan and practice it so you can stay informed and communicate with family and friends. Having a weather radio with battery backup and using smartphone apps with alerting capabilities is essential. You should also build and maintain a disaster supply kit with adequate nonperishable food, water, medicines, pet supplies, and other essentials to keep you fed and comfortable during and after the storm. 

Step Three is "Resilience - Strengthen Your Home"

Homeowners have many affordable DIY options to help their homes withstand hurricanes' strong winds and rain. Analysis by the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) tells us that keeping your garage door in place is critical to preventing roof and wall damage, even in winds up to 135 mph. So focus first on openings such as windows, doors, and garage doors. You have three options for protecting your garage door. Learn more here.

The second focus area for home protection is your roof. It is more difficult to protect unless you are reroofing. Still, some DIY strategies include adding a ¼" bead premium adhesive inside the attic along the joints where the underside of the decking meets the roof trusses. Engineering tests indicate that this affordable method can increase roof uplift resistance by a factor of three. Still, you will need access to the roof-to-wall connection inside your attic.

The third area of focus is outside your home. Clean up your yard and remove any objects that may become windborne, such as toys, BBQ grills, lawn furniture, swings, and garden decorations. Secure your items with anchors and straps if they are too heavy to move indoors.

Step Four is "Insurance - Have a Checkup. Create an Inventory"

The most effective way to ensure you have the right amount of insurance is to have a checkup with your agent or company once per year. This will ensure you get all available discounts for your home and that you don't have any surprises when it comes time if you have an insurance claim. 

Another essential preparation step is to create or update your home inventory at least once yearly to ensure you have a current record of all your belongings. The simplest way to create an inventory is to video your belongings using your camera phone. Record all your appliances' make, model, and serial numbers, and store your video file on the cloud for easy access from any location.

Step Five is "Service - Help Your Community"

The final step to becoming #HurricaneStrong is one of the most rewarding. Once you prepare your family, home, and finances, you can consider how to help your neighbors and community. Reach out to elderly neighbors and offer to help them prepare. Get trained for volunteer work. Donate blood. Consider how your workplace might be able to provide support after a storm if it has a generator and can offer people a way to charge cell phones or enjoy air conditioning.

Helping others bounce back after a hurricane is one of the most rewarding activities as you and your community recover from a hurricane. 

Visit HurricaneStrong.org to learn about all five steps today and access the complete inventory. Check out flash.org/hurricane to generate a custom list of retrofitting tips for your home.

Newsroom: What items are essential to a hurricane supply kit? 

Supplies:

- Radio: battery-powered radio and NOAA weather radio with extra batteries

- Cash: banks and ATMs may not be open or available for extended periods

- First aid kit

- Flashlight and batteries

- Toiletries: hygiene items, moisture wipes, and sanitizer

- Cell phone with chargers and a backup battery

- Fire extinguisher

- Whistle to signal for help

- Dust mask to help filter contaminated air

- Wrench or pliers to turn off gas or utilities

- Maps

- Household chlorine bleach and medicine dropper to disinfect water

Household Items: 

- Sleeping bag, blankets, and pillows

- Clothing: seasonal, rain gear, and sturdy shoes

- Car and house keys

- Toys, books, and games

- Paper and pencils

Food: 

- Enough food for 3-7 days, including nonperishable food and drinks, food for

infants and older adults, snack food, manual can opener, vitamins

- Water: at least 1 gallon per person per day for 3-7 days for drinking and

sanitation

- Meal supplies: paper plates, paper cups, paper towels, and plastic utensils

- Infant formula, bottles, diapers, wipes, and diaper cream

- Pet food 

Medical and Emergency Information:

- Medicines and prescription drugs (one week or longer supply with a list of all medications, dosage, and any allergies)

- Glasses, contacts, and contact lens solution

- Copies of health insurance and/or Medicare identification cards

- In case of emergency (ICE) contact information for doctors, relatives, or friends

The two most essential items in your kit are a weather radio with backup batteries to keep you informed and a portable charger to keep your phone charged. You should download weather alerting apps to your phone so you have a secondary way to stay informed. Charging your phone is essential so you can call 911 in case of a life safety emergency. 

After these two items, ensure you have nonperishable food, water, cash, medicines, and other supplies that sustain you for at least 72 hours. Always keep your fuel tank full to avoid the rush of last-minute crowds at the gas stations.

Newsroom: How is FLASH partnering with Lowe's to help people prepare and react to hurricane damage? 

Through our partnership, Lowe's generously provides resources and subject matter experts that allow us to fulfill our shared mission of strengthening homes and safeguarding families from hurricanes and disasters of all kinds. Thanks to Lowe's role as a Legacy Partner, we have created and launched consumer-friendly initiatives, including:

National Hurricane Resilience Initiative - #HurricaneStrong

Tornado Safety and Protection Initiative - Tornado-Strong.org

No Code. No Confidence. - Inspect2Protect.org

Resilient Recovery for The Hardest Hit - Strong Homes Initiative 

These landmark outreach, awareness, and recovery initiatives have helped educate those in harm's way on preparing for and surviving hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, and wildfires. Moreover, together, we've helped disaster survivors build back stronger so their homes can better withstand future storms.

For those in high hurricane-risk areas, check your local Lowe's for Hurricane Preparedness Pods, which will have all of the essentials you need to stay ready when disaster strikes.

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