SAN ANTONIO – Texans can prepare for disaster and save money by taking advantage of the sales tax holiday on certain emergency preparation supplies from April 22-24.
Severe spring weather can mean damaging hail, flooding and even tornadoes, so the state is providing an incentive to prepare by offering sale tax exemptions on items ranging from can openers to fire extinguishers.
Portable generators priced less than $3,000 are on the tax-free list. They can help people weather an extended power outage.
"You can keep your refrigerator going. You can keep your lights going, keep your AC going," said Ben Garza, with the Home Depot.
Generators and plastic sheeting or tarps are the first things people scramble to buy during a storm, Garza said.
Also tax-free are first-aid kits, axes, emergency ladders, ice chests priced less than $75, weather radios, smoke detectors and the thing people grab first when the lights go out — flashlights.
It's also a good time stock up on batteries tax-free. Cellphone batteries and chargers are also tax-exempt for that weekend.
To see the entire list of tax-exempt items, click here.
Among items that do not qualify for tax exemption are step ladders, camping gear, chain saws and plywood.