In CT, we lived at the end of a power line, where we could lose power if someone even blew at the wires. After losing power for a week or more at a time during Hurricane Sandy and the ice storm later that fall, we ended up putting in a standby whole house generator, which ran on a 1000 gallon propane tank. Best investment we ever made!

Now here in FL, we already have a 220 50V (?) plug on the outside of our house which we can plug our portable generator into if we lose power. Our new house will have the same once completed.

BB

It just so happens that my house has a main panel about 20 yards from the house, so I was able to put the 220V plug out there. That gets the generator a bit farther away -- a good thing, since they are noisy.

You can monitor the progress of the power company restoring power by going outside at night and listening for the drone of portable generators in the distance.

The generator I bought has a metal fuel tank. I saw a couple others in the back of somebody's pickup truck, and they had plastic fuel tanks. I wish mine had a plastic fuel tank! This thing is probably going to sit for years before I need it again, and it'd be good to have a fuel tank that doesn't rust.

I want to think that this post was funny, as I have monitored the power company's progress many times by just listening for generators.

Many hugs!
BB

My grandma in Buffalo was without power for several days one winter. They bought a full automatic generator after that, which cost several thousand dollars. But worth it for a 90+ year old lady's peace of mind, I guess.