[PeakOiler]

Much of Texas has received record rainfalls recently, including where I live, severe t-storms, lots of lightning, and lots and lots of rain, flash flooding, etc.

The utility grid power was out for 14 hrs. at my house. A taste of Olduvai.

Having a freezer full of food, and not knowing when the grid would be back up, I bought a small gasoline powered electric generator to power the frig during the minor emergency.

I will be getting a small solar array within the year to replace the gas generator. I must keep the beer cold!

[ClassicSpiderman]

All I have is a hand crank radio and a battery converter that stores about 2000 W worth of electricity. That gives me about 30 minutes of microwave or hot plate usage.

Food stored in a basement freezer is said to be still good as long as there's still ice crystals that can be felt in the middle of the meat.

[snowshoegal]

Keep your generator as a backup backup. If it rains for 2 weeks solid, you'll have little sunlight for the panels.

Some gennys can be converted to other fuels. It's pretty simple, might have to drill the carburetor. Nice thing about a conversion to say, propane, is the carburetor won't get gummed up. Propane doesn't go bad like gas does, so you an store more of it on site.

Of course, if you live by the lake, just put the beer bottles in a net bag and into the water. Cold and yummy and renewable! We did this as teens in the woods and I never forgot it.