Generac Releases 2026 Hurricane Preparedness Guide as Season Draws Closer
Generac has released its 2026 Hurricane Preparedess Guide as hurricane season gets closer.
Marking its 10th anniversary, the 2026 Hurricane Preparedness Guide expands on past versions with new data on the nation's highest-risk zones and a clearer picture of the cost of power outages, from nightly lodging to basement flooding expenses.
According to Colorado State University's annual Atlantic hurricane season forecast, experts are anticipating 13 named storms with six expected to develop into hurricanes and two forecasted to reach major hurricane strength of a Category 3 or higher. Communities across the Atlantic and Gulf coasts are reminded that planning is critical.
The 2025 Atlantic hurricane season produced 13 named storms, five of which became hurricanes. In 2024, the U.S. reported nearly 1.5 billion electric outage hours – the most since Generac began tracking this data. Hurricane Helene and Milton together caused a staggering 9.5 million power outages at storm peaks and over $113 billion in damages. During Hurricanes Helene and Milton, Generac whole home standby generators reported 5.4 million hours of runtime.
"It only takes one storm to disrupt people's lives. These storms don't just knock out power. As our homes are our sanctuaries, our workplaces and our classrooms, having a backup power plan is essential," said Kyle Raabe, president of home power generation at Generac. "Planning ahead this hurricane season will protect you and your family from unnecessary stress and help you ensure safety and stability during a storm-induced power outage."
Generac urges homeowners across the country, regardless of if they live in a high-risk area, to download the Hurricane Preparedness Guide to learn more about how to prepare for a storm-induced power outage. The 2026 preparedness guide includes information on home energy and power options, safety tips before, during and after the storm and helpful tools such as emergency kit checklists, home inventory forms and important emergency contact resources.
To learn more about Generac's complete line of home backup power solutions, contact your local dealer or visit www.generac.com.
About the Author
Michael Roth
Editor
Michael Roth has covered the equipment rental industry full time for RER since 1989 and has served as the magazine’s editor in chief since 1994. He has nearly 30 years experience as a professional journalist. Roth has visited hundreds of rental centers and industry manufacturers, written hundreds of feature stories for RER and thousands of news stories for the magazine and its electronic newsletter RER Reports. Roth has interviewed leading executives for most of the industry’s largest rental companies and manufacturers as well as hundreds of smaller independent companies. He has visited with and reported on rental companies and manufacturers in Europe, Central America and Asia as well as Mexico, Canada and the United States. Roth was co-founder of RER Reports, the industry’s first weekly newsletter, which began as a fax newsletter in 1996, and later became an online newsletter. Roth has spoken at conventions sponsored by the American Rental Association, Associated Equipment Distributors, California Rental Association and other industry events and has spoken before industry groups in several countries. He lives and works in Los Angeles when he’s not traveling to cover industry events.