Do I need a generator? Have a Freezer. (Orlando, Oviedo: homeowners insurance, house)

[swshopper]

We are relocating to the area from NM. I don't know if this is the best thing to have in Orlando, FL. I have an upright freezer. I am worried I could lose the contents (spoilage) without a generator if a big storm/hurricane hit Oviedo. Should I not use a Freezer here (putting it in garage). Too much money to run it with the heat?
Do I need a generator anyway regardless? Any other newcomer storm tips? Do I need a stash of water and other supplies? What kinds?

[AliceT]

I once lost power for 10 days in Groveland and the hurricane that did that came out of the Atlantic rather than the Gulf. More simply, YES, get and keep a generator! Power outages are all too frequent in FL. To be extra safe, get a propane freezer and massive propane tank.

[annerk]

I live in Clermont, and in the five years I've lived here, we've never lost power for more than an hour or two. but I'm not going to let me guard down, because I know that it could happen and I could be without power for a week or more.

I have the following storm related supplies:

Generator with gas cans, fire extinguisher, hand siphon for pulling additional gas from car tanks, and heavy chain with lock to secure generator. Also a window A/C unit to run off the generator to keep at least one room cool.

Camp stove with extra fuel canisters. (If I can have a cup of tea in the morning, the world is OK)

30 gallons of water (3 adults and an 80 pound dog for a week)

Enough canned foods, dry cereal, boxed milk, etc. to last a week with a non-electric can opener, plus two weeks worth of pet food. (We figure after a week the Red Cross or Guard will be around handing out MRE's, but it could be two weeks or more before we could get pet food.)

An extra month of prescription meds (refill asap each month and build up a stockpile)

Weather radio with extra betteries (you NEED this ASAP not for hurricanes but tornados!!)

Flashlights with extra batteries

Blue tarps, wood strips, nails

Chainsaw (I don't know why--we're on a golf course, but we have one.)

Work gloves

Cash in mixed bills in the safe--enough to buy supplies even at inflated prices for a week or more. All of our important documents, including the homeowners insurance policy are in our fireproof safe which is permanently attached to the slab of the house and could be grabbed in under a minute (as well as the rest of the contents of the safe) if we needed to flee quickly.

There's a great list here of what you need to have together at the start of hurricane season.

And to answer the original question, yes, I'd probably have at least a small generator that will run the freezer--your homeowners deductible is probably more than they'll pay out for food damge.

[MovedfromFL]

Annerk, it sounds like you have everything you need! When I lived in Clermont, we lost power for about 4-5 hours and it was not fun.

I wonder about running a generator in a neighborhood with close neighbors. Will the noise be an issue? How about the fumes? (do not run them in your garage or other enclosed area! People have died from the fumes) Also, the noise from a generator can be like a beacon to others ~ "hey, I have lights, power, and food!"

[annerk]

We'd run the genny outside, on the screened lanai if it was intact, in the driveway otherwise. We'd chain and lock it either to the table on the lanai (which we bring inside when a storm is imminent but would take back outside after the storm) or a car axle in the driveway.

I'm sure I wouldn't be the only one running a genny, and my neighbors have all informed me that they'll be hanging out at my house in the a/c, so I doubt they'll be complaining. I would of course welcome anyone in the neighborhood--even if I didn't know them--who needed a respite from the heat, or a baby or elderly person or person with a breathing problem who needed to plug in a nebulizer. Isn't that what being a good neighbor is all about?

[AliceT]

Originally Posted by MovedfromFL

I wonder about running a generator in a neighborhood with close neighbors. Will the noise be an issue? How about the fumes? (do not run them in your garage or other enclosed area! People have died from the fumes) Also, the noise from a generator can be like a beacon to others ~ "hey, I have lights, power, and food!"

Contrary to what some believe, a screened area is an enclosed area.

Nobody will mind a generator as long as some simple courtesy is exercised: Do not run it after 9pm. Do not run it before dawn. If your power is out, it is most likely that others are in the same boat and are running a generator or have an alternate source of power, too.

If you are the only person without power, something is wrong and you need an electrician, not a generator. Don't worry about the fear that you will be the only one with power as that is not a valid fear in a city setting. Most folks either have a generator or buy a new one when a hurricane threatens. You wouldn't believe the people that ditch never used generators right after the danger has passed.

[annerk]

Originally Posted by AliceT

Contrary to what some believe, a screened area is an enclosed area.

Well there's enough ventilation that I have a built in grill, so I can't imagine that having a genny running along the far outer end of the lanai would be a problem. I can understand not running it in an enclosed garage, but there's a big difference between being surrounded by solid walls and being surrounded by screens.

[AliceT]

Use Care with Portable Generators - Associated Content

Backup generator location etc. - Tool Shed Forum - GardenWeb

The standard is to keep the generator a minimum of 10 feet away from a dwelling's door or windows. When in doubt, contact a building inspector or licensed electrician.

[annerk]

Originally Posted by AliceT

Use Care with Portable Generators - Associated Content

Backup generator location etc. - Tool Shed Forum - GardenWeb

The standard is to keep the generator a minimum of 10 feet away from a dwelling's door or windows. When in doubt, contact a building inspector or licensed electrician.

Got it--I can keep mine on my lanai and still be 10' from doors or windows. I can see not running it against the house, but that wasn't my intention.

[KorrMuraan]

Don't forget a shotgun and plenty of ammo for the Nibiru induced zombie uprising in 2012.