A USGenerator White Paper on the Forecast Increase of Hurricane Frequency and the Use of Standby Power Systems For Homes and Businesses

There's No Reason To Be Afraid ... But Every Reason To Be Prepared

Hurricane and Power Report - 12 January 2011

This Report Has a Happy Ending.

But, before you get there you need some hard facts.

Our marketing consultants advised that we should put a more positive spin on this report. We rejected this advice because we went through two back-to-back hurricanes ourselves and there was very little positive about the two events. After Francis, we installed a large whole house generator which powered all our key systems literally hours before Jeanne made landfall. The stark difference between these two experiences, the first without and the second with a standby power system, was like night and day…or better perhaps, hell and heaven. It is important for all of us to have a healthy respect for these storms. At the same time, you can be secure in the knowledge that we now have the technology, in the form of the automatic standby generator, that allows us to adapt, overcome and eliminate the horrendous effects of the prolonged electrical power outage.

The best decisions you can make about protecting your family and businesses with standby power are made with facts not spin.


Here Are the Facts:

"... as of about 1995, the major hurricanes of the Atlantic basin had made a return after a 25 year lull and were likely to be more numerous for about two to three more decades. Such a result has large repercussions to the general public, business owners, emergency managers, and government officials ... this works out to about three major hurricanes making landfall in Florida per decade ..."

Chris Landsea Ph.D - NOAA/Hurricane Research Division, Miami, Florida
Prof. Bill Gray, Colorado State University

Background

The American people lived and prospered long before electrification of the cities began in 1882. We survived before and we can survive now without electricity. But now, every component of our lives is held together by electrical power. When the power goes, everything comes unglued and we are thrust into a chaotic stressful condition of living like that experienced by South Florida residents in 2004. The state was smashed with four hurricanes. The resilient Floridians pulled together in their finest hour, but the hardship that they endured was considerable, and the entire region was an unprecedented disaster.

Electrical power was out for up to a month in some areas and emergency services were overwhelmed. Municipal power providers brought in line crews from as far away as Canada to repair the carnage.

• Food spoiled in home freezers and tens of thousands of dollars in perishable business inventories were lost
• Cooking became impossible
• Air conditioning was out in the hottest, worst time of year
• Mold problems began when the dehumidifying of the A/Cs stopped
• Medical devices failed placing dependent family members at risk
• Security systems, telephones, computers and televisions were useless
• Drinking water became scarce and bathing became a luxury when electric well pumps were inoperative and municipal water sources were unsafe
• Customers of businesses and essential institutions such as banks, could not be served when they vitally needed it
• Patients could not be treated except under emergency conditions. Dental emergencies became especially problematic since few emergency rooms have dental facilities and dental offices were without power
• Public sewage back flowed into homes with electric lift stations

 

Worst Time of the Year

And when came the night, the population was plunged into total darkness. The only defense was a few flickering candles and flashlights. The only connection with the outside world was the transistor radio.

Future Power Problems

Weather

By far, the greatest challenge we face is the weather. Atmospheric scientists, in 2002, forecast that the Florida peninsula would be hit by as many as two hurricanes. Of course, the actual count was four. Based on water temperatures off the coast of Africa, locations of high pressure, high altitude shear winds, and other factors, the entire Florida coastline is threatened. Researchers, however, forecast that the southern portion of Florida from Cape Canaveral to Key West and from Key West up to Tampa will be hit by at least one land falling major hurricane every three years for the next 20-30 years. (1) If the forecasts are right, we're looking at 7-10 possible major hurricanes striking the target region in the time period. Categories 1 and 2 storms are not considered major hurricanes, however, they still cause widespread and lengthy power outages. While the Florida peninsula was spared in 2007, the season spawned two unprecdented category 5 hurricanes which struck Mexico along virtually identical tracks. These storms just as easily could have come our way, so don't be lulled into complaceny

Hurricanes come and go in cycles that have been identified in the historical and the scientific record. We are now entering a period of heightened hurricane activity after a decades long lull in activity. (1) The ecosystem has presumably adapted already to these cycles which have been coming and going for hundreds if not thousands of years, and is unlikely to be adversely affected.

The massive influx of human habitation in these affected areas, however, make it imperative that we take measures NOW to adapt, overcome and prevail in the new era we are entering which could feature prolonged periods without electrical power. It should be remembered that even a tropical storm can pack walloping winds of 73 MPH, more than enough to knock out power. Tropical storm Allison struck Houston in June 2001 with 60 MPH winds and destroyed over $5 billion in property leaving its citizens without electricity for days. (3)


(1) The recent Increase in Atlantic Hurricane Activity: Causes and Implications. Science Magazine, 20 July 2001 (2) University of Colorado Tropical Storm Project Updated forecast 1 April 2005. (3) Houston Chronicle February 2002

Energy: Over Demand - Under Capacity

The other most probable cause of a power failure was disclosed in a recent study by the US Department of Energy. The report noted that while demand for electricity has grown at 35% for the last 10 years, supply has grown at only 18%. The report concluded by saying that the most likely places for future blackouts would be regions of high population growth which also require the use of air conditioning in the summer. Public power companies straining under maximum demand create the potential of grid overload, then failure that cascades into adjoining grids causing a power failure over a large area. This is what happened in August of 2003 when 50 million electric customers in 8 states and Canada were blacked out.

That's a lot of Bad News - But Here's the Happy Ending

We now have the technology to prevent every one of the dire consequences of an electrical power failure. The solution is an automatic standby generator that is permanently wired to your home or business electrical system. These generators are fully automatic, quiet, have their own fuel supply and power the key circuits you desire. They start up within 10 seconds of a power outage and your life goes on without disruption. The best of these systems are manufactured by three large companies with long, distinguished histories, and offer a variety of products and prices. We believe that the coming era of heightened hurricane activity will require a standby generator for homes and businesses just as we now have central air conditioning for the summer heat. The systems are cost effective and can be purchased for approximately $ 500 to $ 700 dollars per kilowatt. A 2000 square foot home can be fully protected with a 16-kilowatt generator.


Standby generator systems can be retrofitted on virtually any residential or commercial building. But if you're buying or building a new home, this is the ideal time to consider standby power.

Learn more about Automatic Standby Power