WAUKESHA, Wis., May 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Just two days
before Hurricane Matthew whipped the Atlantic coast into a frenzy,
one major retailer in West Palm Beach,
Fla., was sold out of generators by noon. Checkout lines at
grocery stores grew painfully long, and the inevitable rush of
last-minute shoppers lasted from open to close. Hurricane
Preparedness Week (May 7-13, 2017) is
the seasonal prompt that urges widespread readiness for potential
land-falling tropical storms and hurricanes, and Generac Power
Systems is putting a pragmatic perspective on plans for
preparation.
The 2016 hurricane season ended a decade-long landfall drought
in Florida when Hurricane Hermine
struck in early September. Then in early October, Hurricane Matthew
caused significant and far-reaching damage as it dragged north
along the Atlantic coast. The intensity of that hurricane left more
than one million Florida homes and
businesses in the dark, while 485,000 were powerless in
South Carolina, 300,000 in
Georgia and more than 127,000 in
North Carolina.
For this hurricane season, which runs between June 1 and November 30, Generac Power
Systems is providing an essential set of common-sense "rules" that
champion a proactive course of action, regardless of forecasts or
predictions, to prepare early for a tropical storm system, which
will assuredly produce the fierce winds, heavy rainfall and storm
surges that will leave homes and businesses in the lurch without
electricity.
Get ahead of the game and prepare. Although hurricane
season is long, it's important to prepare ahead of the emergency
supply rush. Portable and automatic home standby generators keep
critical appliances running — lights stay on, devices stay charged
and weather updates are available on television, radio or online.
Use a sizing calculator when shopping for a portable generator. If
you already have a portable generator, run it now to ensure it will
run in an emergency. Better yet, perform any scheduled maintenance.
For home standby power, you should schedule an in-home consultation
with a professional to ensure you get your generator installed
before an emergency.
Anticipate a disruption in the electric utility.
Depending on the storm intensity, damage to the electrical
infrastructure can be extensive. Downed power lines, flooding,
fallen structures, debris and other obstacles will affect the speed
of power restoration, so it's important to prepare for an outage
duration that may become uncomfortable.
Family comes first. An emergency hurricane kit for the
family and any pets should be easily accessible on the ground level
of the home or business. In addition to food and water, this kit
should include a flashlight, first aid kit, battery-powered radio,
a whistle to signal for help and an assortment of hand tools. If
someone in the home is dependent on electricity for life-sustaining
medical equipment, review the plan to access backup power or make
arrangements to relocate when storm warnings are issued.
Think about fuel and fuel safety. Long lines at the gas
pump can spark short tempers. Keep a vehicle full of gas and make
sure the car battery is in working order. This is especially
important if you are asked to evacuate. And while you can use your
car to charge your phone, a Generac portable generator is a smarter
alternative. Plan for fuel storage in approved containers, kept
away from the generator, and be sure to let the generator cool
before refueling.
A detailed list of power outage safety tips for homeowners and
businesses can be found at Generac.com/hurricane-prep.
"It's always better to be ready for a nonevent than to be caught
off guard by a strong storm," said Russ
Minick, chief marketing officer at Generac Power Systems.
"We believe we can offer manageable ways to guide homeowners and
businesses through the storm season, but it's also critical that
customers understand that staying safe starts with
preparedness."
About Generac
Generac Power Systems, Inc. (NYSE: GNRC)
is a leading global supplier of backup power and prime power
products, systems and engine-powered tools. Back in 1959, our
founder was committed to designing, engineering and manufacturing
the first affordable backup generator. Fifty-eight years later, the
same dedication to innovation, durability and excellence has
resulted in the company's ability to expand its industry-leading
product portfolio into homes and small businesses, on job sites,
and in industrial and mobile applications across the globe. Generac
offers single engine backup and prime power systems up to 12 MW and
paralleled solutions up to 100 MW, and uses a variety of fuel
sources to support power needs for our customers. We are proud to
be named, in back-to-back years, the Frost & Sullivan 2014 and
2015 North American Natural Gas Generator Set Company of the Year.
Visit Generac.com for more information.
Media Contacts
Art
Aiello | Generac Public Relations | O: 262-544-4811 x 2987 |
art.aiello@generac.com
Ryan Fitzgerald | Prefix Public
Relations | O: 414-335-8312 | rfitzgerald@prefixpr.com
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SOURCE Generac Power Systems, Inc.