Powering up for the storm season

They already have the reinforced windows.
The garage door is also fortified against the worst a hurricane can offer.
As John Lahr jokes, "The roof will blow off first (in a storm) and we'll be sitting here with our pretty windows."
But if the power failed during a storm, it would be no laughing matter.
Lahr's left side was left paralyzed after a massive stroke 11 years ago. He also suffers from a weak heart.
Given his poor health, Lahr, 73, and his wife, Sarah, 70, would only evacuate from a hurricane in the most extreme circumstances. Up until recently, though, they could have been left at home without electricity for their refrigerator or lights.
That changed when they won a generator as a door prize during last month's Hurricane Expo at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park.
"We were ecstatic, let me tell you," Sarah Lahr said Thursday from her home in The Heather subdivision.
June 1 marked the beginning of the hurricane season, which extends until Nov. 30. The National Weather Service's prediction for 2009 is nine to 14 named storms, four to seven hurricanes, with up to three becoming major hurricanes of Category 3 strength or higher.
Generators are not on the "essentials" list when it comes to hurricane preparation, though they can be godsends for couples like the Lahrs. Instead, officials urge the public to stock up on items such as water, nonperishable food and flashlights with batteries.
Coincidentally, the winner of the other generator donated it to the Lahr's church, First United Methodist Church of Spring Hill. The generator, in combination with other smaller power sources, will keep the food pantry running in the event of a storm.
"It expands our capabilities," said Ed Chester, chairman of the board of trustees at the church. "It would hurt us very badly if we lost (the refrigerators)."
He was touched that someone would give away the generator.
"It was very generous of them to do that," Chester added.