Before Battening Down The Hatches

As we learned , hurricanes don't only happen in Dixie.

The conventional wisdom on geographic Long Island had been that only its South Shore could be pummeled by a hurricane—and their Southern positioning on the Long Island land mass does put them at a disadvantage.

But you only need look over photos of damage from last year to be reminded of what havoc .

Patch is a proponent of personal home generators for disaster preparedness. Here is the case, as made by John F., for :

1. The most important home appliance that a standby generator will power during a hurricane is your basement sump pump, decreasing the risk of water damage to your home and possessions.
2. In the case of severe storms and destruction, portable generators power emergency lights to ensure safety during evacuation.
3. Community evacuation shelters rely on automatic backup power to manage operations and provide relief to hurricane victims.
4. If storms cause power outages during times of extreme heat or cold, an automatic backup power source will turn on to keep the furnace or air conditioning units running.
5. Backup power can also save families hundreds of dollars in food costs, eliminating the risk of spoiled refrigerated and frozen foods while utility power is down.
6. In our networked world, Internet, TV and radio provide important severe weather updates to keep communities safe and informed. If the power goes out in the wake of a hurricane, a backup power source will keep these technologies running.
7. Automatic backup power helps maintain normalcy in the aftermath of a hurricane-related power outage, keeping the doors open to vital businesses, such as grocery stores and pharmacies.
8. Portable and automatic backup generators provide power to traffic signals to ensure all drivers remain safe during times of evacuation as well as necessary commutes while power is down.
9. An automatic backup generator can save lives for those on power-dependent health equipment, such as kidney dialysis machines or respirators, keeping this essential equipment running during a power outage.
10. In areas prone to flooding, emergency portable generators power pumps that drain water from ditches, floodplains and dikes, preventing further damage to the affected area.

If you're interest in the topic of disaster preparedness extends beyond generators, check out these tips by James Murdock.