The program is featuring a June 1 "Dine in the Dark" eveningwhere individuals, families and volunteers turn off their lightsand prepare a meal without power. National Hurricane CenterDirector Bill Read was the first to pledge that he would join theBlowout campaign for this event. "We all know hurricanepreparedness is important, but so many coastal residents have neverexperienced a hurricane. Many others deny that one would everstrike at all," said Mr. Read in a statement. "The Great HurricaneBlowout offers ways to make hurricane preparedness an activity thewhole family can embrace."

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

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

For insurance agents, Ms. Lyons pointed out that this is aresource to help their customers be prepared and protected for theseason. "A lot of agents do a lot of outreach around hurricaneseason, especially in those areas at risk," said Ms. Lyons. "Thiswill be an additional resource where they can point their customersas a one-stop shop for everything they would need to do to getprepared for hurricane season."

She said FLASH hopes those customers will engage in this siteand find it fun and informative. "We know this can be overwhelming,but here are all the things you can do, and we are going to makethis as fun and as easy and as engaging as we can," said Ms. Lyons."What we hope we are providing for agents is a new resource theywill be able to use, pull from and direct their customers to."

Kent Jespersen, assistant vice president, property and casualtyunderwriting for State Farm, said the company became a sponsorbecause the feeling is that the campaign would help not only itscustomers but all residents who could be placed in harms way. Hesaid what was most appealing about the program is the uniqueness ofusing social media to pass along information about not only what todo before a storm but also how to survive for four to five daysafter. "We see it as a very creative and innovative way to reachout to people and for families to be ready before and after thestorm," Mr. Jespersen told National Underwriter. "Insteadof just relying on brochures and putting the information in thenewspapers, this will enhance the outreach effort."

The campaign Web site is www.greathurricaneblowout.org.