RALEIGH, N.C. — It is the start of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, and now is the time to have essential items on standby in case of impactful weather.

North Carolina ranks No. 4 in the country for hurricane landfalls, according to Spectrum News 1 meteorologist Lee Ringer.

Spectrum News 1 visited a business where the store manager says it’s important to test your safety equipment out now before a storm hits.

Store owners say they are seeing a number of people coming to their business getting items for hurricane season. One of the most common tools people are buying are sump pumps, which can detect rising water levels and automatically start pumping water out if your home begins to flood. 

Northern Tool Manager Hussain Kapadia says if you must use a sump pump, test your pump once a year, clean it regularly by removing the lid and checking inside with a flashlight. If you don’t have a sump pump, find a water pump.

“One of these water pumps right here, this can move about 7,000 gallons per hour and so that can move water from one space to another really, really quickly,” Kapadia explained.

A generator is another essential tool in case of power outages.

“You want to make sure that oil level is all the way to the top right there. Once that’s completed, make sure you have fresh gas, you put that fresh gas right in here,” Kapadia showed us.

Remember to never use a generator indoors, the exhaust contains carbon monoxide, an odorless poisonous gas. 

“Make sure that it’s in a well-ventilated area so that way the carbon monoxide isn’t coming into your house, and never put gas inside of a generator while it’s running,” Kapadia said.

When you are using a generator, be sure to follow the instructions that come with it. 

Experts say sump pumps should be replaced at least every seven to 10 years. If it runs frequently, it may only last five to seven years.