Summers in Arkansas can be punishingly hot, and the summer of 2019 was no exception. But in a few short weeks, we’ll be complaining about how cold it is outside. We might not get a lot of snow each winter, but ice storms are very common. Is your home prepared for an extended power outage?

If there’s anything that we’ve learned from some of our more recent natural disasters, it’s that our local utility companies often find themselves playing “catch-up” during large scale power outages. They’re doing the best that they can, but it can often be days before power is fully restored to homes and businesses. Customers in rural areas often have it much worse. Power outages are definitely inconvenient for all of us, but sometimes the stakes are higher than losing a freezer full of leftovers. Some people require power to run medical equipment, and an extended outage could literally be a matter of life or death!

As a homeowner, you’re always looking for new ways to keep yourself and your family comfortable and safe. You want to find ways to make the home that you own a little more yours, and find ways to get maximum value from your investment. An emergency generator might not be as exciting as a new pool, deck, or home theater system, but it’s a smart investment. The first time that your lights come back on seconds after an outage, you’ll truly know how peace of mind feels. You’ll be able to keep your eye on the weather forecast, you won’t have to worry about losing the food in your refrigerator, and your life saving medical equipment will keep running.

Even though this current Arkansas winter has been relatively mild so far, we all know that we’re always at risk of a sudden cold snap, snowfall, or ice storm. Some winters are more extreme than others, and we all know that when communities in central Arkansas experience mass power outages, it can take utility companies days (and sometimes weeks) to get services restored. It’s definitely an inconvenience for everyone, and for people that need power to run medical equipment, it’s much more serious than that.

During certain times of year, Arkansas weather can be particularly cruel. Every summer, we’re subjected to triple digit temperatures, every winter, we get a little snow and a lot of ice, and we have severe thunderstorms all year long. What this means for homes and businesses is the regular threat of unexpected power outages. The utility companies do everything that they can to respond quickly to interruptions in service, but during emergencies, they can get short-handed, causing power outages that can often last for several days.

With the exception of the times when the power goes out, and the times when we pay our electric bill, we tend to take it for granted that we can always flick a light switch and turn our lights on and off. Arkansas is no stranger to seasonal weather extremes, and frequent outages are a reality that we have to deal with a few times a year. But for some people, a power outage is a lot more than an inconvenience: imagine what would happen if a hospital lost its ability to keep life-saving medical equipment turned on, or if a police station lost its power during the middle of a major emergency!

There’s no doubt about how convenient that our lives have become, thanks to electricity, and it has certainly improved the quality of our lives. Most of us use it wisely, and most newly constructed homes are built to very rigorous safety standards. But that doesn’t mean that emergencies don’t happen, and you owe it to yourself and your family to be prepared!

Spring is here, which means spring storms, severe weather, and power outages. A power outage is never convenient, and can sometimes even be life-threatening. That’s why many Arkansans choose to stay prepared by investing in an emergency generator.

Winter has almost run its course, but lifelong Arkansans know quite well that Mother Nature’s wrath knows no season. Winter brings bitter cold temperature and the occasional ice storm, which can wreak havoc. Springtime brings the threat of heavy rains, high winds, hail, and tornadoes that often result in heavy, localized damage. High summer temperatures bring the constant threat of power outages as air conditioning units run full blast trying to cope, and with fall comes the secondary severe weather season, that is no less treacherous.

We’ve sprung forward, and the daffodils are in bloom: it must be springtime! After the punishingly cold winter that we just had, Arkansans are all breathing a sigh of relief as the days start to get longer, and the sun sits high in the sky.