Generator buying guide: what to get, what size, and why you need it before June.

After a major hurricane, the power can be out for days to weeks. A generator is the difference between sleeping at home and paying for a hotel three states away while your freezer thaws. But supply collapses the moment a storm watch is issued — pre-season is the only window that works.

Buy before the season — not during a threat

This point is worth leading with because it changes the urgency of everything else. Generator supply in the Southeast and Gulf Coast follows a completely predictable pattern: full shelves in April and May, rapid drawdown as the season opens, and near-total depletion within hours of a named storm entering the Gulf.

This happens every time. After Hurricane Ian (2022), generators were impossible to find within 200 miles of southwest Florida for over a week post-landfall. After Ida (2021), the Louisiana market was stripped before the storm made landfall. Online orders extended to 3–4 week shipping times. The people who had already purchased were the ones who had power on day three.

If you do not have a generator and are in a hurricane-prone area, May is the right time to buy. Not when a watch is issued. Not when a storm forms. Now.

Portable vs. standby: the core decision

Portable generators run on gasoline or dual-fuel (gasoline/propane). They cost $400 to $1,500 for home-sized units, require no installation, can be stored and deployed as needed, and are available at most hardware stores and online. The trade-offs: they must be started manually, run outside only, need to be refueled every 8–12 hours, and connect to your home via extension cords or a manual transfer switch. During a multi-day outage, you are managing fuel supply — which becomes its own logistical challenge when gas stations lose power.

Standby generators are permanently installed on a concrete pad next to your home, connected directly to your natural gas or LP propane line, and wired to your electrical panel through an automatic transfer switch. They detect a power outage and start automatically — typically within 10 seconds — without any action on your part. They can run indefinitely as long as gas supply holds, which natural gas typically does through all but the most severe storm events. The trade-offs: installation costs $3,000 to $15,000 depending on size and complexity, requires permitting and a licensed electrician, and takes weeks to schedule. You cannot install a standby generator when a storm watch is posted.

Sizing your generator

Generator output is measured in watts. The key distinction is starting wattage (the surge required to start a motor-driven appliance) vs. running wattage (what it needs to continue operating). Size to starting wattage, not running wattage — undersizing causes the generator to trip under load.

A practical sizing guide by scenario:

Essentials only (refrigerator, a few lights, phone and device charging, a box fan): 3,500–5,000 watts. This is the most common purchase, gets you through a week-long outage at a manageable comfort level, and costs $400–$800.

Essentials plus window AC unit: 5,000–7,500 watts. In Florida, Mississippi, or Texas in August, sleeping without some cooling is miserable and potentially dangerous for elderly residents. A 5,000-BTU window unit draws roughly 1,500 watts running, 2,200 starting — add that to your essentials load.

Central AC plus most of the house: 7,500–10,000 watts. Running central air from a portable requires careful load management but is achievable with a properly sized unit and a transfer switch. This is the top of what portable generators practically deliver.

Whole-home with no compromises: 14–22 kW standby. Sized to your home's full panel, automatically cycling appliances as needed. This is the standby tier.

Dual-fuel vs. gasoline only

Dual-fuel generators run on either gasoline or propane. Propane stores indefinitely and can be stockpiled before a storm; gasoline degrades in 30–90 days without stabilizer and is subject to the same supply chain disruptions as everything else after a major storm. If you are buying a portable generator for hurricane use, dual-fuel capability is worth the modest price premium. Fill a 20-lb propane tank now and you have roughly 5 hours of half-load runtime stored safely without fuel management concerns.

Inverter generators: quieter, more efficient, better for electronics

Standard open-frame generators produce "dirty" power — voltage fluctuations that are fine for motors but can damage sensitive electronics like laptops, CPAP machines, and modern televisions. Inverter generators produce "clean" power (stable sine wave output), run significantly quieter, and are more fuel-efficient at partial load. They cost more for equivalent wattage but are the better choice if your critical loads include medical devices or electronics. Brands like Honda EU series and Yamaha EF series are the benchmark — there are reliable lower-cost alternatives, but the premium brands have a strong service network in storm recovery areas.

What else to buy now

A generator alone isn't enough. You also need: a heavy-duty 25–50 foot outdoor extension cord rated for your generator's output (12-gauge minimum for runs over 25 feet); a carbon monoxide detector for every level of your home; a manual transfer switch or interlock kit if you want to back-feed into your panel safely (requires an electrician); a fuel stabilizer if you're storing gasoline; and a funnel and extra fuel containers. Stock at least 5 gallons of treated gasoline per day of expected outage — more in summer heat when AC load is continuous.

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