How to save lives in the South now

 Everyone in a house needs a gasoline generator and a portable air conditioner that can be run off that generator. Though communication is necessary too, at least a gasoline generator big enough to run a portable air conditioner and a refrigerator and enough gas to keep it running is what people now need to get through this time with no power that could last a month or more now.

What I usually do when power goes out in January to march usually for 2 days to a week when 100 mph winds come off the ocean where I live is to run my generator from about 8 am to 9 pm so as to be polite to my neighbors. But, I can run a lamp in the kitchen, a refrigerator, wifi, TV, etc. with my present set up.

I started running years ago from my ONAN gasoline generator in my motor home into my house. Then I bought a 500 dollar larger generator that has two wheels so I can wheel it outside my garage and run a 100 foot outside cord from it into my kitchen. Then I get a surge protector and plug everything into it through a surge protector. I usually put the main cord up through my garage into my kitchen to do this and then run shorter cords to my wifi and TV from the kitchen. I also put a lamp in the kitchen.

Of course my father was an electrical contractor so I understand electricity pretty well and even worked as an electrician sometimes even in my 20s to make a living when I wasn't doing something else before I started owning businesses in my late 20s.

The most important thing I can say is "DO NOT RUN POWER DIRECTLY THROUGH YOUR ELECRIC LINES TO YOUR PLUG OUTLETS IN YOUR HOUSE!"

WHY?

BECAUSE IF THE POWER SUDDENLY COMES BACK ON TO YOUR HOUSE THROUGH THE POWER LINES IT COULD EXPLODE OR DESTROY YOUR GASOLINE GENERATOR. SO,YOU DON'T WANT TO RUN POWER THROUGH THE LINES ALREADY TO YOUR HOUSE PLUGS BECAUSE OF THIS! IT'S TO PREVENT A FIRE OR WORSE IN YOUR HOME.

YOU CAN ALSO USE A DIESEL GENERATOR. HOWEVER, LESS PEOPLE TEND TO KNOW HOW TO MAINTAIN DIESEL GENERATORS.

For example, I used to own a Diesel Rabbit. Though it got 50 miles to a gallon of diesel I did not have enough experience to take care of that diesel VW Rabbit because it was the first diesel I ever owned. So, soon the diesel rabbit got all gummed up because I didn't change the oil quick enough and I finally had to sell it. I didn't really understand what I had done to it by not changing the oil which tends to get very carbon coated and thick from what diesel does when it combusts through compression instead of sparking like in a gasoline engine.

So, even if you are good repairing and understanding gasoline engines like I had been trained by my father to be, it doesn't mean you also understand maintaining diesel engines too.

Note: If you have a really big house so big it is no longer practical to run a 100 foot cord because of the distances then there might be another alternative here.

BUT FIRST YOU HAVE TO THROW YOUR MAIN BREAKER TO YOUR HOUSE INTO THE OFF POSITION OR THIS IS REALLY REALLY DANGEROUS!

If the distances are too great you might be able to run power (after you throw off the Main circuit breaker to the house off so there is no danger of power coming back on unexpectedly from the power lines to your home.

But, I would have an electrician do this for you simply because this could be really really dangerous to do if you don't know exactly what you are doing including you might burn down your home to the ground.