SupportLife on the East Coast comes with benefits that encourage many to move here – the warm weather and sunny beaches; however, this attractive lifestyle comes with facing dangerous hurricanes as well. When a hurricane hits, the damage they cause to homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure can range from severe to life-threatening. One storm alone could be capable of leaving a devastating impact. Unfortunately, hurricanes are not restricted to just the coastline as they can move hundreds of miles from the shore and create insurmountable damage inland. There is no guarantee that you or your loved ones will not be in the direct path of a hurricane, so it is best to be cautious, pay attention to local weather emergency alerts, and prepare accordingly. We do not intend this to sound frightening but rather realistic. Hurricane season tends to be unpredictable and these storms cannot be stopped – so being prepared is crucial.
In the state of Florida and for other states on the East Coast, the Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1st and will be active through November 30th. Hurricanes are most likely to develop in the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico during this period. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released predictions for an above-normal hurricane season this year making it the seventh consecutive above-average hurricane season. This is partly due to the ongoing La Nina cycle and several other climate factors. So far, there is a range of 14 to 21 named storms, of which 6 to 10 could become potential hurricanes and 3 to 6 major hurricanes.
Temporary Power Supply takes hurricane preparedness very seriously. In this blog, we will give you a brief rundown of essential preparations that can make a difference in the hurricane’s effect on you and your home. The preparations that we’re going to discuss in this blog is not meant to sound exhaustive but rather help you and your family in emergency situations.
How To Be Resilient During Hurricane Season
What can you do to be ready for this hurricane season? The CDC suggests the following:
Make a plan! It’s recommended to plan ahead to ensure yourself peace of mind knowing that you have gathered what you’ve needed and taken the necessary precautions before the storm makes its way to you. Write down your county’s emergency management phone number, local police station number, fire station number, and family member’s phone numbers.
Next, put together an emergency supply kit. This kit should include a 2-week supply of water with one gallon per person per day, non-perishable food that is easy to prepare, a flashlight, a battery-powered radio, extra batteries, first aid kit, medications, multi-purpose tool, sanitation and personal hygiene items, copies of personal documents, extra cash, and if necessary: baby supplies, and pet supplies.
Locate your nearest shelter. If you are a pet-owner you should look for shelters, pet-friendly hotels, or ask out-of-town friends or relatives about what to do with your pets in case you need to evacuate. Make sure to fill up your car’s gas tank as well. Do your shopping for supplies early. Recently, trips to the supermarket feel a bit underwhelming nowadays with national supply chain delays and shortages so you cannot expect items to be in stock like usual. It is vital to have these emergency supplies during and after a hurricane to protect yourself and your family.
Portable vs Standby Generators
When the power goes out during a hurricane you will need a safe, reliable form of emergency power for your home. It’s common to lose power during a hurricane because utility poles can go down from the high winds, flooding, and falling trees. Electricity can be out for days and sometimes even weeks, therefore impacting everyone ranging from single-family homes to an entire community.
So, the question is, should you consider a Portable Generator or a Standby Generator? A portable generator may be inexpensive, but a standby generator will be a worthy investment that can supply a greater amount of power than that of a portable generator. There are some major differences between the two which we will discuss below.
Run-Time. Portable generators can provide power for about 10 hours. A standby generator on propane can run from 3 to 10 days depending on tank size. If it is on natural gas, it can run continuously for several days.
Fire Hazard. A portable generator if shielded from the weather can cause a buildup of flammable gas fumes that could cause a fire. A standby generator won’t have this issue.
Load Capacity. A standby generator is designed to keep the functions in your home from being shut down. A smaller portable generator cannot run air conditioning, television, and washer or dryer all at once.
Fuel Issues. Portable generators need gasoline, which has been quite expensive lately. Standby generators use propane or natural gas, which can be stored for the long-term.
Convenience. Going outside during a hurricane to start up a portable generator is not a situation you want to be in. With a standby generator, when utility power goes out, your power will come back automatically if connected to an automatic transfer switch.
With both a standby generator and portable generator, you may want to invest in a Generator Docking Station to add quick-connect camlocks to your electrical system. The Docking Station used in conjunction with a transfer switch will allow you to quickly plug in your generator cables and transfer over from Utility to Backup power in a matter of minutes without the need of an electrician on site.
What is a Generator Docking Station?
Imagine you’re directly in the pathway of a category 3 hurricane. The conditions have you bunkered up inside and you’re waiting for the worst to be over. There are winds reaching 115 miles per hour and the strength is enough to snap a tree in half. Fallen debris is picked up by the winds and aimlessly flies around – snagging on the powerlines. The power has now gone out, and there is no light, no air conditioning, no electronics, and no refrigeration. You know that you don’t want your family to endure a long period of time without power, and that’s why you need a Generator Docking Station.
What is a Generator Docking Station and what does it do? A Generator Docking Station, abbreviated to GDS, is a system that can be connected to a generator quickly using generator cables with camlocks. It’s essential for emergency power as it allows you to restore power to your home or business in a short amount of time. This could be as significant as getting power back in 15 minutes compared to a couple of hours. A GDS is pre-wired, so it does away with the need to run lots of cables throughout the building into the main electrical panel and transfer switch. Without a docking station, if the power goes out you need to call an electrician to wire up your house and transfer switch. During a hurricane, this wouldn’t be remotely possible. What makes a Generator Docking Station so impressive? There are numerous features to a GDS that make it a valuable installation to consider.
Homes vary in the amount of power they require. Most homes in are between 150 to 400 amps, so there are configurations that can meet a wide variety of requirements. All of our GDS’s are UL/cULus 1008 listed, meaning that the product has passed numerous fire and electrical tests by Underwriters’ Laboratories. They conduct safety and quality tests on products and sets industry-wide standards to ensure that they are safe and dependable. A generator docking station is NEMA 4/12 rated, so it is insusceptible by wind-driven rain. This is extremely important as you don’t want to have any water affecting what’s inside the box. If you are concerned about the security of the system, it is lockable with concealed hinges so that you know it can’t be tampered with.
A Generator Docking Station is a well-worthy system to have installed in your home or business. If you are interested in learning more about GDS’ we have experts here at Temporary Power Supply that are happy to help you. You can reach us through our contact form here and we look forward to hearing from you!