This is a sponsored post written by me on the behalf of The Home Depot.
The Home Depot in North Kingstown held a free Hurricane Preparedness event on Saturday, July 27, to educate people on how to be storm ready.
Us Rhode Islanders, along with other states along the east coast remember Hurricane Irene and Superstorm Sandy all too well.
So, when The Home Depot invited me to check out their hurricane preparedness workshop, I knew the information would come in handy.
Get hurricane ready with these supplies
When my friend Mary Karalis and I got to Home Depot, right away everyone was very friendly and helpful; especially a woman named Julie.
Multiple staff members led us straight to their Hurricane Preparedness section and guided us through what essentials were most important during a storm.
Seeing the staff members be knowledgeable made my experience my enjoyable.
They answered any question I had, and with a smile. You don’t see that everywhere!
Fun fact about this North Kingstown store:
It’s the busiest store in Rhode Island, and during a storm they stay open around the clock. It turns out people from all over the state visit this store for their supplies.
The first items people reach for during a storm are flashlights, batteries and water. Other items Home Depot recommends having on hand are, a charcoal grill, gas powered chainsaw and a wet-vac.
Chainsaws are definitely an afterthought for me because I usually think about what we need during the storm, not what we need to clean up after.
Chain saws could prove useful after a storm to clean up downed trees
Doug, a helpful staff member at Home Depot, advised gas chainsaws are the way to go in the event you lose power. Of course, if you decide on a gas chainsaw, you’ll want to be prepared before the storm by having a tank of gas too.
He noted that if you do have an electric one, the chainsaw will only work if you have a generator or power.
Speaking of generators, I honestly had no clue how much they cost or how they worked exactly until I spoke to Alan. I learned that generators have a way of maintaining themselves by doing a self check once a week. It’s a very low-maintenance product!
There are also multiple types of generators, one that can power the whole house and others that just power part of it.
Alan said whichever you decide, a generator needs to be kept outside. He compared it to running your vehicle in your garage with the door closed, which you would not do.
Hopefully we won’t see a big summer storm this year, but it is New England, so it’s always good to be storm ready.
Check out some of my photos from the event below!
The Home Depot prides itself on providing their customers with the knowledge and supplies that they need to keep their families safe during the hurricane season. Through free educational seminars and ensuring that stores are well stocked with hurricane essentials when the need arises, The Home Depot is there for you and for your family during the hurricane season.
To get connected with our local The Home Depot store, visit their Facebook fanpage at http://on.fb.me/16bExFs
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Home Depot.
We lost power for a week with Hurricane Irene! I am not looking forward to hurricane season!
I can’t believe its already time to get ready for hurricane season! whew – we need to stock up on some more flashlights as well!
Oh I need to head there..we have lost power during every major storm since moving to our house two years ago! This was great info, thank you!
I desperately need flashlights, my kids use them as toys and when I need one the batteries are dead. I told my husband I wanted a giant spotlight style one and I’m going to keep it hidden.
Thank you and Home Depot for this post. I somehow feel prepared for a hurricane/blizzard until I see a supply/essentials list. Preparedness is even more important for me now that I have my elderly Mom stay at our home during weather emergencies; and your post has me getting into action. Again, thank you…