An industry's message: 'Be prepared.'
The Southeastern U.S. has already dealt with Tropical Storms Ana, Bill, Claudette and Danny. And at press time, Tropical Storm Elsa was in the news.
So far, destruction has been minimal. But a pair of respected storm watchers predict above-average hurricane activity in the Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. The Colorado State University Tropical Meteorology Project anticipates eight hurricanes this season (which runs through Nov. 30.) That’s similar to the forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – possibility of six to 10 hurricanes, including three to five major hurricanes.
The home improvement business has a long tradition of serving as community leaders in hurricane damage prevention. Case in point: Michael Wynn, co-owner of Sunshine Ace Hardware chain in Southwest Florida has taken to social media with a message:
“Do you have what it takes to weather this hurricane season?”
On Facebook, Wynn promoted hurricane-prevention staples: wing nuts, cases of water, batteries, flashlights and high-powered camping lanterns among them. The stores have also given away “Hurricane Prep gift baskets” to lucky shoppers.
Of course, manufacturers in the emergency supply space are promoting similar messages. Russ Minick, chief marketing officer at Generac Power Systems has rallied homeowners since the beginning of hurricane season in May: "Peace of mind is of the utmost importance and with homes becoming the family sanctuary, it is critical to be ready for natural disasters that create power outages,” he said. “We can reduce the pain of power outages by focusing on what we can do to prepare so we encourage customers to make a plan early and responsibly."
And that message of energy independence applies beyond the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. An active wildfire season could also be a catalyst for additional outages in the West, with utility companies opting for Public Safety Power Shutoffs. Earlier this year, the Texas power crisis resulted in statewide outages lasting several days, serving as another reminder of the importance of having a plan for energy independence.
Here's a roundup of products with hurricane season shelf-appeal:
From Generac, the Powermate 2000W Inverter portable generator features a Powerdial recoil start with three settings integrated into one simple-to-use dial. The fully enclosed case makes for ultra-quiet performance. The product automatically adjusts engine speed, reducing both fuel consumption and noise level. Generac.com
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Dam Easy Flood Barriers are a product from the Irish company All Weather Industries. The DIY-product that installs in three easy steps. Place the barrier in the doorway – extend horizontally and inflate the protective tube around the airtight perimeter. Seals floodwaters to a height of 28 inches. Dameasyfloodbarriers.com
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From Life+Gear, a brand of Dorcy International, the Stormproof 1,000 Lumen Stow-away collapsible Lantern. Has three modes With 3 and a half hours of run time at 1,00 lumens (longer at lower settings), the product runs off of 4 AA or 8AA batteries. Also has a red night vision setting and can also charge a phone with an emergency USB output. Lifegear.com