Less Than a Third of Homes in Hurricane Areas Have an Adequate Reinforcement System WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., Feb. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- The Weather Channel, the nation's pre-eminent source of weather news and information, and Amarr, a leading garage door manufacturer and distributor, have joined forces to create a nationwide safety and preparedness campaign dedicated to increasing public awareness before severe weather strikes. "With a long-standing commitment to keeping America ahead of the storm, The Weather Channel is pleased to team up with Amarr to help property owners understand the importance of taking precautions in advance of severe weather. Together, Amarr and The Weather Channel can be effective in educating the public about the value of being prepared before storms occur," said Shari Pace, Vice President of Licensing, The Weather Channel. "Although the strength of garage doors is a significant concern in high- wind conditions, many people simply are not aware of the need for reinforced garage doors," said Patrick O'Sullivan, Amarr's Vice-President of Marketing and New Ventures. "The Weather Channel and Amarr share a common goal in our desire to help people know how to prepare for severe weather." Research indicates that only 25 to 33 percent of homes in hurricane prone areas have an adequate wind load reinforcement system in place to protect garage doors. In addition, only 40 percent of consumers in hurricane prone areas know that their garage doors, by code, are required to meet building code criteria for wind pressures. "One of our goals is to make people aware of local building codes for garage door wind loads," O'Sullivan added. "Building codes for garage doors became much more stringent along coastal areas after Hurricane Andrew in 1992, but many people seem to be unaware of those changes. High winds also can be detrimental to garage doors 100 miles or more inland and in areas such as in Southern California, where the Santa Ana winds are prevalent, regardless that local building codes may not require reinforced garage doors." The safety and preparedness program planned by The Weather Channel and Amarr will provide information to consumers via several platforms, including weather.com and Amarr's web site. Homeowners interested in assessing their existing garage door can access amarr.com for a listing of qualified local garage door retailers by clicking on the "Where To Buy" tab. The campaign will officially kick off on July 1, just one month after the start of the 2007 Hurricane Season. In the future, The Weather Channel and Amarr will explore additional opportunities such as public events and classroom educational programs to provide further outreach for the safety message. "Garage doors are the largest openings in homes and, in some cases, businesses. If strong winds force the garage door in or out during a severe storm or hurricane, the extreme wind conditions could lead to a build-up of internal pressure in the structure that blows out the roof and supporting walls. Experts have surveyed post-hurricane damage and concluded that structures with properly reinforced garage doors suffered far less devastation than those without," O'Sullivan pointed out. To make garage doors much stronger in high-wind conditions, Amarr recommends a reinforcement system, which comes as an option on most new garage doors. About The Weather Channel The Weather Channel, a 24-hour weather network, is seen in more than 90 million U.S. households. Its Web site, weather.com, reaches more than 30 million unique users per month. The Web site's content is generally ranked within the 15 most popular in the U.S. by Nielsen//Net Ratings. The Weather Channel also operates Weatherscan, a 24-hour, all-local weather network available in 23 million households, The Weather Channel Radio Network, The Weather Channel Newspaper Services, and is the leading weather information provider for emerging technologies. This includes broadband and interactive television applications, with wireless weather products accessible through high-speed Internet services, mobile phones and personal digital assistants. The Weather Channel is owned by Landmark Communications, Inc., a Norfolk, VA- based, privately held media company. About Amarr Amarr is one of the world's leading manufacturers and distributors of residential and commercial garage doors and offers WindPro(R) reinforcement system to meet the building code requirements for high winds from hurricanes and wind storms. Established in 1951 by the Brenner family in Winston-Salem, NC, Amarr has grown to more than 1,600 team members, operating four plants and more than 65 door distribution centers in the United States, Mexico, Canada, and Hungary. More than 3,000 independent dealers, distributors, and leading retailers sell Amarr doors worldwide for the new construction and replacement markets. For more information about Amarr Garage Doors or to find a dealer, visit www.amarr.com or call 1-800-503-DOOR (3667).
