The short answer
Size the load for a refrigerator, internet, lights, phones and any pump or medical need; choose a battery for essentials and a generator or solar for recharging; test everything before a storm is forecast; and never run a generator indoors.
Before the season
- Decide your target: hours (a night), days (a long outage) or weeks (storm aftermath). Outages after major hurricanes can last days or longer.
- Total your essential load with the load calculator.
- Choose the equipment: a battery for essentials, a generator for longer outages, or both — see station vs. generator.
- If you want a generator to power home circuits, book a licensed electrician for a transfer switch or interlock installation well before a storm.
- Install battery-powered carbon monoxide alarms and check smoke alarms.
Test early
- Charge batteries fully and run them with your real loads for an hour to confirm the numbers.
- Start generators, check oil and fuel, and run them under load outdoors.
- Check cords, connectors and inlet boxes for damage; confirm the cord reaches a safe outdoor location.
- Practice the sequence: where it sits, how it connects, who does what.
Fuel and recharging
- Estimate fuel with the fuel calculator; stations and fuel sell out and roads may close after a storm.
- Store fuel safely, away from living areas; propane keeps well.
- Add solar panels if you want a no-fuel top-up, knowing storm clouds reduce output; see solar recharge.
SafetyRun generators outdoors only, with the exhaust away from the house and CO alarms working indoors. Keep equipment dry and above flood level. Never backfeed the house.
Medical and special needs
If anyone relies on powered medical equipment, plan with the device maker and the prescriber, register with your local utility or emergency management program where available, and have a plan that does not depend on a single device. Wattstanding cannot say whether a product is suitable for medical use.
After the storm
- Wait for the all-clear before connecting anything to the house; confirm with your electrician whether the system sustained damage.
- Do not touch downed lines or wet electrical equipment.
- Refuel generators only when cool; ration fuel by running them in blocks to refrigerate and recharge.
Questions readers ask
What is the best power station for hurricane prep?
The one that covers your essential load for the hours you choose, can be recharged by something you will have (wall, solar or a generator), and fits your budget. Start with our list ranked by calculated essentials runtime and verify with your own loads.
When should I buy?
Before a storm is forecast. Demand and shipping delays spike once a hurricane is named, and electricians book out fast.
Figures marked as Wattstanding calculations show their working; product figures come from the sources on each product page. How we work