On average, about three hurricanes will hit the United States coast per year. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but when you consider the kind of damage they can wreak, three is three too many. Going off statistics from 2011, in which there were a staggering seven hurricanes, 100 people were killed directly, 14 indirectly. The damage done to such things as homes, businesses and roads came out to a cost of a whopping $20.8 billion. Hurricane Irene caused a power outage that affected just shy of one million people, and that was before the storm even hit the New York/New Jersey area. The frightening thing to realize is that according to the National Weather Service, hurricanes may not necessarily be increasing in numbers (2011 notwithstanding), but what are doing is becoming more violent and more turbulent than at any time in recorded history. For people on the coasts, especially the Atlantic, this threat is very real and always imminent. That’s why a lot of people in the southeast own electric generators.
Generators are very imperative to have in the aftermath of a hurricane. Hurricanes typically come with winds in excess of 100 mph, heavy flooding, lightning and hail. As a result, it’s almost inevitable that either power poles will be knocked down or that transformers will be knocked out, leading to a power outage. A power outage means the loss of hot water for showers, the loss of the ability to refrigerate food, the loss of electronic devices that help to communicate and the loss of light in order to find or see others. Electric generators are will restore power back to a home in a matter of seconds and can do so for as long as needed, provided they have the fuel to run.
Diesel generators tend to be the most preferred for these situations. Not only do they perform the task needed, they also lack complicated wiring that needs to be replaced and maintained. The last thing anyone wants to worry about while trekking through the wreckage from of a hurricane is looking for a small wire. Diesel generators also require only about have as much fuel as a standard gas generator, making them far less expensive. They are also safer due to the fact that they are less noxious, and less of a fire hazard.
That doesn’t mean that diesel generators are 100% safe however. After Hurricane Katrina, there were several reported deaths as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning. This carbon monoxide was emitted from electric generators that were improperly used. That’s why it is best to keep generators away from indoor and enclosed spaces, which prevents the carbon monoxide from being trapped. Attaching a generator into the wiring of a home can produce a violent electrical shock, so it is advisable to not do that as well. Before every hurricane season, it’s best to check the oil, air and fuel filters of the generator, just to ensure that they work properly when needed.
Most American citizens will not be affected by hurricanes, thankfully. But for those living on the coast of the Atlantic, hurricanes are a real threat. Generators are a fantastic tool in a homeowner’s arsenal to fight the damage caused by this threat. For more information about diesel generators and power generation equipment, check these out.
Max Stanford is a freelance writer for Worldwide Power Products.