The way to be ready for a hurricane is to plan the standby generator before the storm is in the cone. Permits, the licensed electrician, the gas hookup, and the equipment all have lead times that get longer the moment a storm enters the Gulf, so the calmest, cheapest install is done in the spring. For a unit you already own, the readiness comes from the exercise cycle and routine service — a tested battery and current oil — because the neglected unit is the one that won't start the night you need it.
Plan before the cone
In Terrebonne Parish, hurricanes can leave power out for days, and the demand for generators spikes the moment a storm is forecast. The homeowners who are actually ready are the ones who planned the install in the off-season, when there was time to size it right, pull the permit, and run the fuel without anyone rushing. Once a named storm is in the cone, everything backs up — and a generator you can't get installed in time is no help at all.
Permits and lead times
A proper standby install isn't an afternoon job. It needs a load calculation, a local electrical permit and inspection — governed in Louisiana by the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors — the transfer switch wired to code, and the fuel run. Each of those has a lead time, and the equipment itself can be back-ordered when demand surges. Add them up and it's clear why "install it now, a storm's coming" usually isn't realistic. Plan it when the calendar is calm and the install goes smoothly.
Check the fuel
Before the season, confirm the fuel is ready. For natural gas, that means the line still feeds the unit under full load. For propane, it means the tank has enough fuel for a realistic multi-day outage — topped off before the season, not after a storm is forecast, when deliveries back up. The point is to find any fuel problem while there's time to fix it, not when the grid is already down. We cover the fuel trade-off in natural gas vs propane generator.
The exercise cycle and pre-season service
A standby generator is only a backup if it starts, and that takes maintenance. It runs a brief self-test exercise cycle on a schedule to keep the engine lubricated and the battery charged, and it needs routine oil, filter, spark-plug, and battery service. The two most common reasons a neglected unit fails to crank during an outage are a dead battery and overdue oil — exactly what a pre-season service visit catches. A unit that sat untouched for years is an expensive lawn ornament until someone services it. See generator maintenance & service.
The readiness checklist
Pulled together, getting ready for hurricane season is a short list: plan any new install in the off-season, confirm the fuel, and service the unit so it actually starts. Do it before the cone, not during it.
| Before the season | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Plan any new install in the spring | Permits, fuel, and equipment back up once a storm hits |
| Verify the gas line or top the propane tank | Find fuel problems with time to fix them |
| Service oil, filter, and battery | The dead battery and overdue oil are the top no-starts |
| Confirm the exercise cycle is running | Keeps the unit ready between outages |
| Check the transfer switch | Back-feed protection verified, not assumed |
Whether you're planning a new install or making sure an existing unit is ready, do it before the next storm is in the Gulf. Tell us the house or the generator and we'll get you on the schedule. Related: whole-home install and whole-home vs portable generator.