How Much Generator Power Do You Need for Hurricane Season?

Generator Sizing Calculator: Getting the Numbers Right

The lights flicker once, twice, then darkness swallows your home. Outside, a Category 3 hurricane howls with sustained winds of 120 mph, and you know from the emergency broadcasts that this storm isn't moving fast. Your neighbor's portable generator roars to life across the street, but your own sits silent in the garage—too small to power what you actually need, a fact you're discovering at the worst possible time. This scenario plays out in thousands of homes after every major hurricane, and it's entirely preventable with proper planning.

Generator sizing isn't about buying the biggest unit you can afford or grabbing whatever's left on the shelf when a storm approaches. It's about understanding your actual power requirements and matching them to a generator that can deliver reliable electricity for the duration of an extended outage. During major hurricanes, power outages can last several weeks [3], transforming generator selection from a convenience question into a critical survival decision. The difference between a properly sized generator and an inadequate one isn't just comfort—it's food safety, medical equipment operation, and preventing secondary damage like flooding or mold growth.