Hurricane Season, Houston It's Here: Why You Need to Be Ready for Power Outages and Emergencies.

Hurricane season in Texas spans from June through November, and each year. Houston and the Gulf Coast face the threat of severe storms, heavy rainfall, and high winds. For many homeowners, the most immediate and disruptive impact of a hurricane is a power outage. While local utilities work tirelessly to restore service, even a few hours without electricity can lead to spoiled food, lost work time, and a cascade of safety concerns.

At Elios, our mission is to help Texas families prepare for the unexpected. Below, we’ll cover why hurricane season demands proactive preparation, outline essential steps to safeguard your home and loved ones, and explain how backup power solutions such as generators and battery systems provide the security you need when the lights go out.

Better to Be Prapared Than Scrambling during a Disaster Outage

Why Houston’s Hurricane Season Drives Frequent Power Outages

1. High Winds and Downed Power Lines

Hurricanes and tropical storms often bring sustained winds over 70 mph, with even stronger gusts during the storm’s peak. These high winds can easily snap branches, uproot trees, and cause power poles to collapse. When overhead lines are damaged, large sections of the grid can go offline at once.

2. Flooding and Substation Risks

Heavy rainfall which is at times in excess of 10 inches in a single storm can definitely flood critical electrical infrastructure. Substations, transformer vaults, and underground cables are vulnerable to water infiltration. Flooded equipment must be thoroughly dried and tested before power can safely be restored to affected neighborhoods.

3. Lightning and Electrical Surges

Hurricane-driven thunderstorms often produce frequent lightning strikes. A direct or nearby strike can damage distribution transformers and overload circuits, leading to local outages. Even if your immediate area remains powered, a lightning‐induced surge can damage electronics and appliances inside your home.

The Cost of Unpreparedness: Why You Can’t Wait Until the Last Minute

A sudden blackout is more than an inconvenience but it can also become quite costly, and a stressful ordeal. Consider some of the hidden costs of a 24-hour outage during hurricane season:

• Spoiled Food & Groceries: Most modern refrigerators and freezers can only keep perishables safe for 4–6 hours without power. If you lose electricity during a multi‐day storm, spoiled groceries can quickly add up to $200–$400 in waste.

  
  

• Home Damage & Repair Expenses: A powerless sump pump can’t pump out floodwater, leading to basement flooding and potential mold remediation costs exceeding $1,000. In winter months, frozen pipes can burst, resulting in repairs of $500–$1,500 or more.

  
  

• Medical & Comfort Risks: For families with vulnerable members like young children, elderly relatives, or those relying on medical devices an extended outage can jeopardize health and safety. Essential equipment like oxygen concentrators or CPAP machines require reliable, continuous power.

  
  

• Lost Work & Productivity: Remote workers can lose $150–$300 in daily income if they can’t connect to the internet. Small business owners may see spoiled inventory or halted operations that compound financial losses.

  
  

• Emotional Toll: Beyond dollar amounts, going dark in the middle of hurricane season creates stress, disrupts family routines, and raises concerns about security (alarms, lighting, communication).

  
  

Essential Steps to Prepare Your Home for Hurricane Season

1. Assemble an Emergency Supply Kit

A well‐stocked kit should include:

• Flashlights & Batteries: Keep at least one high‐quality LED flashlight and extra batteries in accessible locations.

• Portable Phone Charger: A fully charged power bank (10,000 mAh or higher) can keep your smartphone alive for critical updates.

• Battery‐Powered or Hand‐Crank Radio: Weather radios provide NOAA‐issued alerts if cellular networks go down.

• First‐Aid Supplies & Medications: Ensure you have a two-week supply of any prescription medications.

• Non‐Perishable Food & Bottled Water: Store at least a three-day supply per person (one gallon of water per day).

• Cash & Important Documents: ATMs and credit card systems may be offline; keep photocopies of IDs, insurance policies, and medical records in waterproof containers.

  
  

2. Protect Electronics & Appliances

• Use Whole‐House Surge Protectors: A surge protector installed at your main electrical panel guards your entire home from storm-related surges.

• Unplug Sensitive Devices: When a storm warning is issued, unplug televisions, computers, and other electronics to prevent damage from power spikes.

• Invest in UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply): A small UPS can keep your modem, router, and essential electronics running long enough to safely power down devices.

  
  

3. Secure Your Home’s Fuel & Ventilation Needs

• Verify Fuel Supply for Generators: If you have a standby generator, confirm that your natural gas line is turned on or that your propane tank is full. For portable generators, store gasoline safely in approved containers. Never indoors or in the garage.

• Ensure Proper Ventilation: Never run a portable generator indoors, in garages, or beneath overhangs. Carbon monoxide is odorless and deadly. Keep exhaust at least 20 feet from windows and vents.

  
  

4. Create a Family Evacuation & Communication Plan

• Designate a Safe Room or Shelter: Identify interior rooms with no windows or an approved storm shelter if flooding or high winds become life‐threatening.

• Establish a Meeting Place: Decide on a family meeting spot if evacuation becomes necessary (e.g., a friend’s house outside the flood zone).

• Choose an Emergency Contact: Select an out‐of‐state or out‐of‐area friend/relative as your family’s “check‐in” point; text and call them to update your status if local lines are jammed.

  
  

5. Secure Outdoor Items & Landscaping

• Trim Overhanging Branches: Keep trees and limbs trimmed away from power lines and your roof.

• Anchor or Store Patio Furniture & Decor: Even modest winds (40–50 mph) can send unsecured objects flying.

• Reinforce Garage Doors: An unsecured garage door is one of the first entry points for hurricane gusts—consider adding braces or a wind‐rated door.

  
  

Backup Power Solutions: Your Best Defense Against Extended Blackouts

While the steps above mitigate many risks, a dependable backup power source is the ultimate way to avoid the cascading costs and hazards of an outage. Here’s how different backup systems compare:

Backup Option	Pros	Cons
Portable Generator	Affordable up front; easy to move to different locations	Requires manual start, bulky fuel cans, louder operation (75–85 dB)
Standby Generator	Automatic transfer switch; whole‐home coverage; runs on natural gas or propane	Higher initial cost; professional installation and permits required
Battery Backup (Bronco)	Silent, zero emissions; automatic switchover; can integrate with solar for recharging	Limited runtime without solar or generator diesel recharge; higher battery cost per kWh
Hybrid Solar + Battery + Generator	Combines silent daytime operation, extended runtime, and unlimited fuel‐based backup	Highest up‐front investment; requires system design expertise and multiple components

Why Elios Recommends Standby Generators & Hybrid Systems

• Automatic Activation: Intelligence in the transfer switch means no waiting for you to notice the lights went out. Your standby generator or battery kicks in within seconds, keeping food cold, HVAC running (as long as fuel or sunlight is available), and medical equipment powered.

• Fuel Reliability: Natural gas or propane standby generators offer indefinite runtime which gives you an advantage if a hurricane knocks out power for days.

• Scalable Solutions: For homeowners interested in sustainability, pairing battery backups (such as Bronco Power Boost) with solar panels reduces reliance on fuel and lowers electricity bills during normal operation. When the sun goes down or solar production dips, the generator takes over seamlessly.

• Safety & Code Compliance: Elios’s licensed electricians handle permits, code‐compliant wiring, fuel‐line installation, and annual maintenance. You avoid the headaches of potential code violations or improper venting that could lead to carbon monoxide risks.

How to Choose the Right Backup Solution for Your Home

1. Assess Your Essential Loads

   • Make a list of must-run appliances: refrigerator, well pump, HVAC, security system, medical devices, and basic lighting circuits.

   • Evaluate running watts vs. starting watts: Motors (like HVAC compressors or pumps) draw several times more power at startup.

     
     

2. Evaluate Outage Duration & Frequency

   • If your area typically sees brief outages (4–8 hours), a battery backup or smaller generator might suffice.

   • For multi-day outages (common during sustained hurricanes), a standby generator with an unlimited gas supply is critical.

     
     

3. Consider Maintenance & Fuel Logistics

   • Portable generators require frequent refueling and manual oil changes.

   • Standby units connect to your home’s natural gas or propane supply so no need to “run out and refill” in dangerous conditions.

   • Batteries need periodic health checks, but solar-charged models can recharge themselves during daylight hours while you ride out a storm.

     
     

4. Set Your Budget & Financing Options

   • Ask about tax credits, local rebates (such as the Federal Residential Clean Energy Credit or state utility incentives), and Elios’s flexible financing plans.

   • Remember: Many homeowners recoup their generator cost through avoided outage costs in just a few years and plus increased home value.

     
     

5. Trust the Professionals at Elios

   • With decades of combined experience, our team designs custom solutions tailored to your home’s architecture, load demands, and aesthetic preferences.

   • We handle permit procurement, professional installation, system testing, and annual maintenance. We will never leave you guessing.

   
   
   
   

Take Action Today: Don’t Wait Until the Next Blackout

Ignoring hurricane season’s potential for extended power loss leaves you vulnerable. Even a short outage can affect your comfort, safety, and wallet. But with thoughtful planning and the right backup power system, you can weather any storm with confidence.

Elios is here to help Texas homeowners stay powered through heavy winds, flooding rains, and prolonged grid failures. From portable generators to complete hybrid solar‐battery‐generator systems, we offer:

• Free On-Site Consultations: We evaluate your home’s critical loads and recommend the perfect backup solution.

• Expert Installation: Licensed electricians manage every detail from electrical, fuel, and safety.

• Ongoing Maintenance: Keep your system in peak condition with an annual service plan.

• Financing & Incentives Guidance: Maximize tax credits and rebates to lower your up-front investment.

  
  

Don’t wait. Schedule your free consultation today and safeguard your family’s comfort and safety:

Call us at 832-263-8720

Book online at www.letsgoelios.com

Stay safe, stay powered, and weather every storm with Elios. We are your partner in reliable backup power.