No other place in the world has the disaster quotient like the United States. Weather alone is so brutal that it chalks up billions and billions of dollars practically every month. Every season brings on horrific weather in the US and that means people need to be prepared or else and a generator is one of the tools you’ll need.
First of all, preparing for disaster depends on your location. In the northeast your worst foes will be winter and nor’easters. Winter blizzards and ice storms can cripple massive areas leaving people without electricity thus no means of heat and protection. Work crews that repair electrical lines might e hampered by closed roads and dangerous conditions. A person needs to have a survival contingency at hand on the average of surviving 3 days to a week at the minimum. When hurricane Sandy hit a few years ago, the northeast got a reminder of how unprepared they were. Millions lost power, 100s of thousands were stranded for days and weeks without supplies or rescue. It was horrible.
In the West and southwest the problems of droughts and fires and even an earthquake loom. They’re more prepared for such disasters but they still can become as helpless if they’ve not paid good attention and the municipalities not prepared. People out in those areas from mid California to Arizona to New Mexico have to fear loss of electricity that leads to loss of air conditioning and refrigeration. Just a few hours without AC in some states could mean a death sentence. An electric generator comes in handy here as it can provide the needed electricity to keep things cool and lit.
The southeast gets a slamming too. Hurricanes, tidal surges, snow, tornadoes, just wreak havoc each year. A generator sure comes in handy during these disasters.
Northern states like Wisconsin and Minnesota get winds and blizzards that are epic in proportion. Should the electricity go out, it might spell doom for one and all.
The bottom line here is being prepared. A generator is a good investment. The basic ones are gasoline operated and call for lots of gasoline to keep going. It might be a public hazard to store that much gasoline around. Check with your dealership that provides such generators. Let them do an evaluation based on your location, family size, and weather patterns. They’ll know off the bat what you need and make the right suggestions. They should also provide training that you should follow without flaw. Using a generator can be dangerous so drill on its use and maintenance and all safety measures.
Some disasters happen out of the clear blue sky and others are detected long before due to new and better technologies like storm predictions. Tornadoes and fires and earthquakes still remain largely a sudden event that one had better be prepared for.
Make sure you have your generator’s instructions both on paper and digital in case of emergencies. Keep contact and emergencies numbers on paper and digital and perhaps in the cloud for easy retrieval. Get first aid kits and keep them where they won’t get lost or damaged. Make provisions for pets and make a crisis bag full of necessities. You can get a plethora of emergency products such as foods and other necessities. Battery and solar operated lights and products that use such are quite affordable and easy to use. Make sure medication is easy to access as well.
Communication devices like radios and cell phones must be able to last and there are rechargeable radios and ways to recharge a smartphone using small objects like paperclips and a penny! Learn all these life hacks and when disaster hits, you’ll be ready for it.
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