FLASH® to Launch StormStruck® App at USA Science & Engineering Festival

The new 3D animated app, available now in the iTunes® store, creates realistic storm damage, allows users to blow a house down and rebuild storm safe.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla., April 26, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Want to blow your house down and rebuild it to safely withstand severe windstorms?  There's an app for that.  The Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH)® will launch StormStruck, a new 3D animated app, from the USA Science & Engineering Festival in Washington, DC tomorrow.

Available in the Apple App Store for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, users create an intense windstorm with a simple swipe of a finger and observe in realistic 3D animation the kind of damage it can do to an average home.  Users then choose from a variety of upgrades that protect the home and enable it to withstand high winds.  They then learn that everything from garage doors to roof connectors can change the fate of the home and increase its chance of survival. 

"The mission of the USA Science & Engineering Festival is to get kids excited about science and technology.  We couldn't think of a better place to launch the StormStruck app and show children the science behind making their homes strong enough to withstand severe weather," said Leslie Chapman-Henderson, FLASH President and CEO.  "The app is just another extension of our work to educate families to the fact that there are things they can do to better protect their homes from Mother Nature."

The free StormStruck app, compatible with the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch running iOS 3.1.3 or later, is available now for immediate download at the Apple App Store.

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