September is National Preparedness Month. The motto is “Disasters don’t plan ahead. You can.” And while the Ready.gov site focuses on a wide variety of situations, here at Cooper Electrical Services we are going to focus on hurricane preparedness and the benefits of a residential generator. A home generator is a sound investment so you can continue living normally, even when the power’s out.
Atlantic Hurricane Season is in Effect
Since we blogged about residential generators and hurricanes last, Hurricane Harvey has devastated parts of Texas and Louisiana. Prior to Harvey, an MIT study showed that hurricane and tropical cyclone damage cost an estimated $26 billion annually. A recent New York Times article estimates that Hurricane Harvey could end up costing as much as $180 billion.
While storms the size of Harvey are hopefully not a regular occurrence, it is important to prepare nonetheless. Myrtle Beach and the greater Grand Strand is in a prime position for Atlantic storms in late summer and early fall. The flooding and wind destruction from Harvey has already motivated many in South Carolina to create emergency kits and to learn more about safe evacuation.
Use Online Resources to Create an Emergency Plan Today
The South Carolina Emergency Management Division website has checklists, resources, and links to help families and businesses prepare for a storm. Before a hurricane hits, homeowners should do these things:
- Have a plan in case of evacuation (stay with friends, book a hotel, etc)
- Know the evacuation route for your zone
- Have emergency supplies including first aid, drinking water, medicine, non-perishable food, flashlights and batteries
- Collect vital documents (birth certificates, deeds, etc)
- Protect vulnerable areas of home (board/shutter windows and bring in lawn furniture)
- Trim trees and shrubs
- Fuel up your vehicles
While a much longer list is on the website, these are essential things you should do to prepare. Thankfully, modern meteorological technology alerts us sometimes weeks in advance of a potential storm, so planning ahead need not be a mad dash the day before.
Plan Long-term with a Residential Generator for Your Home
One thing missing from many hurricane preparation lists is a residential generator. The reason is that installing one with a direct line to liquid propane or natural gas is typically not something one is able to do in the days before a storm. When Hurricane Matthew hit in 2016, even the loud, inefficient portable generators bought at big box stores were near impossible to come by.
The lesson learned is to plan for the long-term. A residential standby generator like the PowerConnect series from Cummins provides full power to your home instantaneously. These generators are quiet, permanently-installed systems in sizes between 30kW and 60kW. For a medium to large size home, this means that you have air-conditioning, heat, refrigeration, and communication seconds after utilities go dark.
Call Cooper Electrical Services to Learn More
The Cummins website has an easy-to-use tool to calculate your power and home generator needs. Cooper Electrical Services is an authorized dealer of Cummins power generators for homes, and we are always happy to answer questions.
Disasters don’t plan ahead. But you can.
Trackbacks/Pingbacks