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Tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires, and other types of natural disasters can be terrifying. Fearing for the safety of your loved ones and your home is a position that no one wants to be in. While you can’t control nature, there are ways you can prepare before disaster strikes and do all you can to protect your family and your property. The Home Depot, one of the largest and most-trusted home improvement stores in the country, is available to help. The company offers a variety of resources, services, and products to prepare you for the worst. Read on to learn more about these resources—and pick up some handy tips shared by a Home Depot spokesperson!
1. Weather Center Hub
The Home Depot’s Weather Center Hub includes links to many of the products and services they offer to help their customers prepare for natural disasters. In addition to links to severe weather how-to guides, severe weather essentials, workshops, and home services (which will be covered in greater detail below), this page on the website also provides excellent tips to help you prepare for hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and other severe storms.
The content is broken down into tips about what to do before a storm (such as preparing your emergency weather kit, boarding up windows, securing furniture, and filling the bathtub with clean water) and after the storm (like staying away from downed power lines and trees and setting up a portable generator).
2. Disaster Prep Workshops
The free virtual workshops offered by The Home Depot share information about natural disaster preparation. Check the website for seasonal workshop offerings, or watch one of the on-demand workshops currently posted to learn how to prepare for wildfires or house fires.
The Home Depot expert we spoke with shared a few additional tips for disaster preparedness with us. Some of these include:
- If you live in a coastal area, be prepared before storm season by knowing the evacuation routes.
- Consider purchasing flood insurance if you live in an area prone to flooding. Flooding is not covered in standard homeowner’s insurance policies.
- Install a permanent generator or purchase a portable generator to prepare for long-lasting power outages.
- Read the owner’s manual to learn how to properly and safely operate the generator, and test it before the storm to make sure it is running properly. You may even want to consider a generator with a carbon monoxide sensor and automatic shutoff as added safety measures
- Keep a good supply of fuel and extension cords on hand to use along with the generator.
- Cut back trees and shrubs that are close to the house to reduce the risk of damage to the siding or windows during storms.
- Ensure that your rain gutters are not clogged to minimize flooding during hurricanes or severe thunderstorms.
- Place valuables and important documents in a waterproof container before a storm strikes.
- Set the thermostat on your refrigerator to the lowest setting to help keep food fresher for longer in the event of a power outage.
3. Helpful How-Tos
The Home Depot’s website also includes helpful how-to guides that assist in disaster preparation and offer safety information. The guides include clear and concise steps to follow to keep loved ones safe and minimize damage to your property. Some of the guide topics include:
- How to prepare for a flood
- How to clean up after a flood
- How to prepare for a tornado
- How to prepare for a hurricane
- How to board up windows
- How to prepare for a blizzard
- How to prepare for wildfires
4. Essential Gear
Make sure you’re ready for tornado season, hurricane season, or other natural disasters by stocking up on the severe weather essentials recommended on The Home Depot’s Weather Center Hub page. Here are our top picks for must-have items, including some recommendations from a Home Depot spokesperson that you’ll want to have on hand to make sure you’re prepared:
- Champion Power Equipment 6250-Watt Gas and Propane Powered Dual-Fuel Portable Generator with CO Shield Technology
- No Spill 5 Gal. Poly Gas Can
- Husky 1000 Lumens LED Virtually Unbreakable Aluminum Flashlight
- Everbilt 16 ft. x 20 ft. Brown/Silver Heavy Duty Tarp
- Husky Ratchet Tie-Down Straps with S-Hook
- Echo 18 in. 40.2 cc Gas 2-Stroke Cycle Chainsaw
- The Home Depot 5 Gal. Homer Bucket
- Bounty Select-A-Size Paper Towels
- Gutter Guard by Gutterglove Stainless Steel Micro-Mesh Gutter Guard (20-Pack)
- Basement Watchdog Big Combo Connect 1/2 HP Primary and Battery Backup Sump Pump System
- Energizer MAX D Batteries
- Ridgid 14 Gallon 6.0-Peak HP NXT Wet/Dry Shop Vacuum
- Great Stuff 16 oz. Window and Door Insulating Spray Foam Sealant
- Ryobi 2900 PSI 2.5 GPM Cold Water Gas Pressure Washer
- HDX First Aid Kit
- 15/32 in. x 4 ft. x 8 ft. 3-Ply RTD Sheathing
- Quick Dam 10 ft. Flood Barrier
5. Installation Services
If you live in a coastal area threatened by hurricanes, you might look into the installation services offered by The Home Depot. One storm-prep project that you might want to hire out is installing storm shutters; the retailer sells and can put in variety of hurricane shutter types, including accordion, Bahama, colonial, and roll-down shutters. They’ll even take care of securing the necessary permits.
6. Disaster Relief and Volunteering
The Home Depot Foundation provides support to communities hit by natural disasters. The company furnishes equipment and products to help with cleanup, recovery, and rebuilding. The Home Depot employees also volunteer with various nonprofit organizations to help rebuild communities hit by disaster. In 2021, The Home Depot Foundation committed to contributing up to $7 million to disaster response in areas impacted by hurricanes, tornadoes, and fires.
