The Federal Alliance for Safe Homes® offers winter preparedness gift guide for families shopping this Black Friday.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla., Nov. 19, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As families kick start holiday shopping this Black Friday, the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH)^® urges them to keep severe weather in mind when choosing among gift options.  From low cost weather radios and portable generators to permanently installed standby generators, keeping the family safe and the home intact is driving warm and comfortable has become this year's must-have gift.

"Families are telling us that Super Storm Sandy has reordered their priorities this holiday season," said Leslie Chapman-Henderson FLASH President and CEO.  "Traditional gifts like jewelry and gadgets are taking a backseat to comfort and security products like hand crank radios and power generators and we expect to see this borne out through the holiday season."

Weather Ready Gifts

FLASH suggests there are many ways to tie gift giving to home safety and security, including:

Under $20.00

• Battery powered AM/FM radio
• First aid kit
• LED flash light
• NOAA weather radio

$20.00 to $100.00

• Blankets
• Car power inverter
• Tested space heater with automatic shut off functions
• Solar or hand crank cell phone chargers

Over $100.00

• Portable home generator
• Whole home, standby generator
• Solar powered backpack to charge laptops, tablets, music players and other portable devices

Click here for additional tips for staying safe during power outages. For more information on family and home safety from disasters of all kinds, visit www.flash.org.  There is still time to win a Kohler standby generator from FLASH and the Great Hurricane Blowout.  Visit www.greathurricaneblowout.org and enter before November 30^th.

About FLASH

Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH)®, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, is the country's leading consumer advocate for strengthening homes and safeguarding families from natural and manmade disasters. FLASH collaborates with more than 100 innovative and diverse partners that share its vision of making America a more disaster-resistant nation including: BASF, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Florida Division of Emergency Management, The Home Depot®, International Code Council®, Kohler Power Systems, National Weather Service, RenaissanceRe, Simpson Strong-Tie®, State Farm®, USAA® and WeatherPredict Consulting Inc. In 2008, FLASH opened the interactive weather experience StormStruck: A Tale of Two Homes® in Lake Buena Vista, FL. Learn more about FLASH and gain access to its free consumer resources by visiting www.flash.org or calling (877) 221-SAFE (7233). Also, get timely safety tips to ensure that you and your family are always well protected from natural and manmade disasters by subscribing to the FLASH blog – Protect Your Home in a FLASH.

SOURCE Federal Alliance for Safe Homes, Inc. - FLASH