Emergency power for the outages you are actually likely to face.
This site focuses on short-term emergency power after hurricanes and disasters. The goal is simple: help people build a realistic, portable backup power plan for refrigeration, lighting, charging, communications, and basic comfort without waiting for a giant system they may never buy.
Protect food & medicine
Keep refrigeration running long enough to protect food, medication, and basic household stability during short-term outages.
Keep lights and essentials on
A modest emergency setup can cover lighting, charging, fans, and small appliances without forcing you into a massive permanent installation.
Stay connected
Phones, radios, chargers, and communications matter just as much as comfort. Staying informed is part of staying safe.
Think portable first
Portable batteries, small solar, and compact generators can move with you if you need to leave, rather than being stranded at home.
A small working plan beats a large imaginary one.
Too many people think emergency power only means a permanently installed whole-home generator or a huge expensive solar build. That mindset causes delay. This site argues for a more practical starting point: solve the short-term emergency first.
Whole-home systems can be useful in some cases, but many households delay action for years because the price feels out of reach.
A smaller portable strategy can handle refrigeration, lights, charging, communications, and selected comfort loads for the outages most people are actually likely to face.
Build around simple tools that solve real problems.
The site centers on short-term backup strategies using small solar solutions, portable battery power, and compact fuel generators. These are the tools most likely to help quickly and realistically after a hurricane or major outage.
Portable Power Stations
Best for indoor-safe use, quiet operation, overnight lighting, charging, communications, and selected critical loads.
Learn more ›
Small Solar Solutions
Useful for extending battery use, recharging during daylight, and building a quiet off-grid layer for short outages.
Learn more ›
Small Fuel Generators
Often the most practical dollar-for-dollar solution for refrigeration, cooking support, fans, and higher-load emergency needs.
Learn more ›
Most people do not need everything. They need the essentials.
Three steps to a realistic emergency power plan
Identify the real need
Focus on the items that matter most in a short outage: refrigeration, light, charging, communications, medication, and one-room comfort.
Choose portable tools
Build around small solar, portable power stations, and compact generators that can be stored, moved, and actually used.
Act now, not someday
A smaller working system in place today is usually more valuable than waiting indefinitely for a large solution you may never install.
Disaster Ready: Emergency Power
Rodney Biddle’s short-term emergency power guide focuses on practical, affordable backup power planning using small solar solutions, portable power stations, and small fuel generators. The goal is to help households protect refrigeration, lighting, cooking support, communications, and critical loads without waiting for an expensive whole-home system.
This website is built around the core ideas of the book: do something small now, solve the most likely short-term outage needs, and keep your backup solution portable enough to move if circumstances change.
Common questions about short-term emergency power
Do I need a whole-home generator for storm outages?
Not usually. Many households can cover their most urgent short-term needs with a much smaller and less expensive portable strategy.
Can a smaller system really make a difference?
Yes. Even modest emergency power can keep refrigeration going, charge phones, run lights, support communications, and help you ride out the first difficult days after a storm.
Why emphasize portability?
Because portable systems can move with you. If you need to evacuate, shelter somewhere else, or support family at another location, your investment is not locked to one property.
What is the main message of this site?
Do something practical now. A right-sized plan that solves real short-term needs is better than waiting for a large system that may never happen.