The list of approved products is available at all 128 of The Home Depot stores in Florida and online at the Florida Department of Revenue's Web site, http://www.myflorida.com/dor .

"Every year, we encourage our Florida customers to prepare early and avoid a last-minute rush for products as a hurricane approaches," said Paul Raines, president of The Home Depot Southern Division. "We applaud the sales tax holiday Governor Bush recently signed into law. By matching the savings this initiative generates, we think more people will consider preparing early this hurricane season."

Florida sales tax rates range by county from 6 percent to 7.5 percent. Therefore, a person's total savings on state-selected hurricane products bought during the next 12 days will vary depending on where purchases are made. In Melbourne, for example, the sales tax is 6 percent, while Pensacola residents pay sales tax of 7.5 percent on their purchases.

"The Home Depot is dropping the price of these selected products by 7.5 percent in all counties so people in counties with tax rates below 7.5 percent are getting an even better deal," said Raines. "We didn't want to confuse our customers if they didn't know their county tax rate."

For the duration of the tax holiday, Raines said each Florida store will feature prominent displays of the state-selected products, which include generators up to $750, gas cans up to $25 and first aid kits up to $30. Plywood is not on the state's list.

A $499 generator, for example, has been reduced to $461.58 statewide. A rechargeable weather radio/flashlight that sells for $29.99 will cost $27.74. In addition to these savings at The Home Depot, customers will not pay sales tax on these or any other state-selected products through June 12.

"Starting June 1, Florida residents only have a few days to take advantage of these discounts," he said. "We have positioned our displays to make it as easy as possible for customers to find everything they need when they walk in the store."

To further demonstrate its commitment to hurricane preparedness, The Home Depot announced on May 16 the formation of a three-year, $6.6 million alliance with The American Red Cross(R) designed to educate one million people on hurricane and disaster preparedness. The Home Depot stores located in hurricane-prone areas will be conducting a series of clinics that will take place on Saturdays at 11:00 a.m. from June through September. The four scheduled clinics are "How To Prepare for a Hurricane," "ABCs of Hurricane Preparation," "How To Protect Your Property from Wind," and "How To Build Your Family Disaster Supplies Kit." The Home Depot also offers a free hurricane guide, which is available in stores and online at http://www.homedepot.com/weather .

During the unprecedented 2004 hurricane season, The Home Depot mobilized the largest supply and volunteer effort in its history as the company donated more than $4 million to the relief and rebuilding efforts of several organizations following the devastation caused by four hurricanes that affected the Southeastern United States. More than 2,000 associates from outside the affected areas volunteered to relieve and assist their co-workers.

Founded in 1978, The Home Depot(R) is the world's largest home improvement specialty retailer and the second largest retailer in the United States, with fiscal 2004 sales of $73.1 billion. The company employs approximately 325,000 associates and has 1,915 stores in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, 10 Canadian provinces and Mexico. The company recently announced the creation of a business development operation for retail expansion into China. The Home Depot has been recognized by Fortune as the No. 1 Most Admired Specialty Retailer for 2005. Its stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE:HD) and is included in the Dow Jones Industrial Average and Standard & Poor's 500 Index.

Source: The Home Depot

CONTACT: Don Harrison of The Home Depot, office, +1-678-581-8638, or
cell, +1-770-906-0464, or home, +1-770-562-8736, or
don_harrison@homedepot.com

Web site: http://www.homedepot.com/
http://www.myflorida.com/dor
http://www.homedepot.com/weather