Up to 100 participants from across the country are eligible to receive $500 awards to complete a planned wildfire risk reduction project on the event day, Saturday, May 7, 2022. To be considered for a project funding award, participants must submit an application by Monday, February 28, 2022. Apply for an award.

The national campaign, which began in 2014, provides an opportunity for groups and individuals who live in wildfire-prone areas to come together on a single day to complete projects that can help make their homes and communities safer from wildfire. Research shows risks can be lessened when residents invest time in preparing their homes and landscaping to reduce the damage caused by embers during a wildfire. Projects undertaken on Preparedness Day, which can range from a short time commitment up to an entire day, can include:

• Raking and removing pine needles and dry leaves within a minimum of three to five feet of a home’s foundation, continuing up to a 30-foot distance around the home, as time permits, and disposing of collected debris in appropriate trash receptacles.
• Clearing roofs and gutters of dead leaves, debris, and pine needles that could catch embers.
• Collecting downed tree limbs and broken branches and taking them to a disposal site.
• Screening or boxing-in areas below patios and decks with wire mesh to prevent debris and combustible materials from accumulating.

 “Major wildfire incidents resulting in thousands of destroyed homes continue to occur annually in the U.S. and are quickly becoming the dominant type of fire that causes catastrophic multiple deaths and structure loss,” said Lorraine Carli, NFPA vice president of Outreach and Advocacy. “Homeowners need to understand they have a role to play and that they can take action in reducing wildfire risk. Preparedness Day 2022 gives people the chance to not only make a difference in safety on event day but all through the year as well.”

According to the latest NFPA “Fire Safety in the United States since 1980, Through the Lens of the NFPA Fire & Life Safety Ecosystem” report, one million homes were within the perimeter of human-caused wildland/urban interface (WUI) fires from 1992 – 2015, and more than 60 million homes were threatened by such incidents in the same 24-year period. Data from annual reports from NFPA of catastrophic multiple death fires state that a total of 248 people have died in WUI fires from 1988 through 2018.

For more information about Wildfire Community Preparedness Day, how to apply for funding awards, project ideas, and free resources to download, please visit www.wildfireprepday.org.

Now more than ever, it's important to prepare your home and family to be #HurricaneStrong.

The NOAA 2020 outlook (released May 21) called for 13 to 19 named storms, six to 10 hurricanes and three to six major hurricanes – one that is Category 3, 4 or 5, with winds of 111 mph or higher. So far, there have been 25 named storms, nine hurricanes, and three major Hurricanes – Laura and Teddy and Delta.

The 30-year (1981-2010) average is 13 named storms, seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes.

State Farm® has joined the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH) to help spread the word about the importance of hurricane preparation ahead of the storm.

Visit the interactive #HurricaneStrong website to learn about hurricanes and how to keep homes and families safe before, during, and after a storm. It stresses these 5 major components to being prepared:

1. Know your evacuation zone.
2. Build a disaster supply kit.
3. Have an insurance check-up.
4. Strengthen your home.
5. Help your neighbor.

www.HurricaneStrong.org even has a special page for children to help them understand their role in the safety process.

In the News:

• WBRC-6:  Time to prepare for inland flooding from Hurricane Sally is now (9/14/20)
• Houston Chronicle: Season's first hurricane gives Texans a taste of how COVID has shaped insurance claims (8/4/20)
• AccuWeather: Now is the time to prepare for hurricane season (6/1/20)

More than 35,300 insurance claims were filed with State Farm in the week following the Laura’s landfall. Residents across Louisiana and Texas continue reporting damage to their homes and vehicles as impacted areas become more accessible. State Farm catastrophe response drone teams are assessing damage for customers across Lake Charles and other impacted areas.

Please continue to monitor local information. When it is safe to do so, make (or have a contractor make) temporary repairs to prevent further damage to your home or property. Save receipts if you purchase items such as tarps, plywood or other repair supplies. Take photos/videos of damage for claim documentation.

To get the claims process started, you can file your claim online, call 1-800-SFCLAIM (800-732-5246) or contact your State Farm agent.

We're continuing to gear up claims resources in response to #HurricaneLaura. We're balancing health and safety with our commitment to customers, we’re working virtually and in person, practicing social distancing with protective equipment.

The State Farm Weather and Catastrophe Team is being dispatched to the hardest hit areas.

Face-to-Face protocols, adjustments and staffing during COVID-19

• First and foremost, we are committed to the health and safety of our customers, the communities where we live and work, and our claim employees.
• Our claim operations remain open and available to service your claims. We are monitoring this changing health issue and continually evaluating our response.
• Virtual claim inspection options are available in most states if legally permitted.
• Claims can always be submitted and managed by calling or emailing your State Farm agent, calling 1-800-SFCLAIM, submitting a claim through our mobile app or through our website at statefarm.com/claims.
• Continuous innovation and adaptation have positioned State Farm as the insurance industry leader. The pandemic is a rapidly changing situation and the decisions we are making balance health concerns with our obligation to continue to serve you.

More tips and resources:

• Avoid driving if possible. If you have to travel, turn around if the road is flooded or blocked by debris.
• Stay away from downed power lines. Anything touching the power line can carry a charge. Report the downed line and avoid the area.
• Simple Insights: Hurricane disaster cleanup after the storm

In the News:

• KADN-15: State Farm Using Drones to Assess Damage (9/4/20)
• The Times-Picayune: State Farm insurance claims hit 24,800 for Louisiana homeowners after Hurricane Laura (9/1/20)
• CBS-42: Like good neighbors, Alabamians are there (8/27/20)
• WVTM-13: Hurricane Laura relief staging in Birmingham area (8/27/20)
• The Weather Channel: CAT 2 Laura Moving Inland (8/27/20)
• Houston Chronicle: Season's first hurricane gives Texans a taste of how COVID has shaped insurance claims (8/4/20)
• AccuWeather: Now is the time to prepare for hurricane season (6/1/20)

State Farm^® partnered with the Red Cross on a campaign to educate citizens across the United States on fire safety and install free smoke alarms. Along with local fire departments and other community partners, more than 100,000 smoke alarms were installed in homes across the country.

Ashleigh Brucker has always had a passion for public safety and education. While in college, she interned with the Champaign Fire Department as safety educator.

“I really love the parts of State Farm that are community driven, people driven and focused on making life go right, so when I saw this opportunity to volunteer I immediately signed up,” the State Farm employee in Bloomington, Ill., says.

During the event, volunteers were divided into small groups with one person focused on getting the household details, one person giving safety information and the others checking current smoke alarms or installing new alarms.

Ashleigh took charge of the education portion for her group. The education packets included a checklist about fire safety such as cooking safety and electrical safety, planning escape routes and how and when to check your smoke alarms to ensure they are working correctly.

“It was so awesome that people were willing to open their doors to us,” Ashleigh says. “We often don’t take time out of our busy lives to think about these things.”

Through 426 Sound the Alarm events, with at least one organized in each state, 43,008 homes were made safer with the help of 30,859 volunteers.

Sonja Campbell-Jones, a State Farm employee in Dunwoody, Ga., used the opportunity to network in her new community. “I consider myself a new Georgia resident, even though I’ve been here for five years. I saw this as a great way to get involved and give back to communities at risk,” she says.

Volunteers canvassed at-risk neighborhoods during their events and found many people to be open and appreciative of the services.

Shakema Green, who works for State Farm in Richardson, Texas, and her 16-year-old daughter, Micaiah, often volunteer together.

“I want her to see through volunteering how other families are in different situations,” Shakema says of bringing her daughter to volunteer events. “No one wants to be down and out; no one wants to be in need. If it was me, I’d want someone to help me or educate me. So, it’s me teaching her to not take for granted what you have and to not look down on others who don’t.”

Wildfire Community Preparedness Day is a reminder that there are many steps communities can take to be prepared for wildfire and an opportunity for residents to participate in wildfire safety activities. There is still time to prepare to take action with regard to wildfire safety and NFPA and State Farm encourage people to get involved by planning a project and participating on May 5. Print a free list of project ideas.

Recent wildfire events make the need for Preparedness Day more important than ever before. Last October, more than 40 people lost their lives in a rash of Northern California wildfires that burned more than 245,000 acres. In December, wildfires near Los Angeles forced more than 230,000 people to evacuate their homes. Several other states that experienced large fires in 2017, including Idaho, Oregon, Montana, and Utah, have put the U.S. on pace to exceed the average acreage burned annually over the past 10 years.

"Since NFPA and State Farm first partnered together on Preparedness Day, the number of projects has grown tremendously. We are pleased to provide 150 communities with $500 each to fund their wildfire risk reduction activities on May 5," said Vickie Hodges, P&C underwriting analyst, State Farm. "For State Farm, the largest home insurer in the U.S., it is important to us to take a leadership role in helping homeowners stay safe and better protect their property."

For more information about national Wildfire Community Preparedness Day including resources, videos, and tip sheets, and to see the list of winning projects and their locations, please visit www.wildfireprepday.org.

For this release and other announcements about NFPA initiatives, research and resources, please visit the NFPA press room.