Hurricane Florence is churning in the Atlantic, threatening the East Coast, while another system looks to be right behind it. There has never been a more important time to prepare.
September is National Preparedness Month, and Generac Power Systems is reminding everyone to review their backup power plans as part of their disaster-readiness planning. Power lines and major utilities are extremely vulnerable to severe storms and heavy wind damage. In fact, in 2017, 50 percent of power loss in America was due to strong storms, and there were more than 1.1 billion recorded hours of power loss in the U.S.
“The first introduction many people have to backup power is during an emergency situation,” said Russ Minick, chief marketing officer, Generac. “It’s imperative families take the time and create a plan that includes backup power. We’ve seen storms in the past year that have left households without power for weeks at a time. A home standby generator is by far the best way to ensure you have power.”
Generac, the leading manufacturer of generators for home standby and emergency power, has a variety of resources to help individuals, businesses and communities prepare for emergencies before they happen.
According to FEMA, a backup generator is worth considering as part of a home emergency plan. During this National Preparedness Month, Generac’s outage experts recommend taking stock of essential items you need to power to determine what size or type of generator you may need:
- Air conditioners in the summer or a furnace in the winter
- Sump pumps, water pumps and water heaters
- Refrigerators, freezers and major appliances
- Lights, television or internet
- Any device that may need charging, like phones, laptops
When you’ve determined the essential items you need to back up during a power outage, schedule an in-home consultation with a certified Generac dealer before purchasing a backup power system. Their experts can recommend what size and type of portable or automatic home standby generator system you may need.
“Having a fully-functional backup power source keeps critical appliances running during an emergency,” Minick said. “It establishes a sense of normalcy during an emergency situation, will give you peace of mind and allow you to concentrate on remaining safe.”
To help households, businesses and communities prepare, Generac offers a number of readiness resources including a comprehensive “Be Prepared” severe weather preparation website. The site helps individuals understand and prepare for various types of extreme weather.
Homeowners can contact a local Generac representative to get ahead of the storm and create a plan to keep your power running.
Generac Power Systems, Inc., offers the broadest range of home backup generators that turn on automatically when utility power goes out, ensuring life goes on as usual despite dangerous power outages. For more information, visit generac.com/be-prepared.
