The program is featuring a June 1 "Dine in the Dark" evening where individuals, families and volunteers turn off their lights and prepare a meal without power. National Hurricane Center Director Bill Read was the first to pledge that he would join the Blowout campaign for this event. "We all know hurricane preparedness is important, but so many coastal residents have never experienced a hurricane. Many others deny that one would ever strike at all," said Mr. Read in a statement. "The Great Hurricane Blowout offers ways to make hurricane preparedness an activity the whole family can embrace."

The focus of the campaign will be fun and learning, FLASH said. Various experts will move participants through six phases of safety and preparedness leading up to the start of hurricane season on June 1. Individual plans will cover evacuation, supply kits, strengthening homes against storms, personal safety and other topics. Participants will also be encouraged to join affiliated nonprofits and be trained to provide volunteer support in the event a hurricane hits their community, FLASH said.

In an interview, Trenise Lyons, project manager for FLASH, said the standard message for hurricane preparedness has not changed, but by using these new mediums the hope is that residents will become engaged in the campaign in a way they have never done before. Using social media, participants will be able to ask questions and create a sense of community and conversation they have never done before, she noted. The idea, she explained, is that this interaction will help increase both awareness and preparedness this year.