Storm season isn’t coming, Texas. It’s here. Hurricane season is in full swing across the Gulf Coast, severe thunderstorms are rolling through Houston, Austin, San Antonio, and DFW, and summer heat is already straining the Texas power grid. ERCOT conservation alerts, tropical systems spinning up in the Gulf, days-long power outages: this is the season we live through every year.
The question isn’t whether a storm will test your home this season. It’s whether you’ll be ready when it does. Here are the top five things every Texas homeowner should have ready right now.
1. A Family Emergency Plan Everyone Actually Knows
If your neighborhood received a hurricane warning tonight, would everyone in your house know what to do? Where you’d meet if separated, who your out-of-town emergency contact is, and your evacuation route if you live in a coastal or flood-prone area?
If the answer is “sort of,” tonight is the night to fix it. Write the plan down, post a copy in the kitchen, and save it on everyone’s phone. When a storm is bearing down on Texas, a calm plan beats a panicked scramble every time. And don’t forget your pets. Their food, carriers, and medications belong in the plan too.
2. A Stocked, Up-to-Date Storm Kit
Texas storm readiness starts with supplies, and mid-season is exactly when kits get depleted and forgotten. FEMA recommends at least three days of essentials, but after major hurricanes and winter grid events, many Texans learned that a week is smarter. Check yours today for:
- One gallon of water per person, per day
- Non-perishable food and a manual can opener
- Flashlights, batteries, and portable phone chargers
- First-aid supplies and prescription medications
- Important documents in a waterproof container
- Cash, since card readers don’t work during power outages
Remember: once a storm enters the Gulf, store shelves across Texas empty in hours. Stock up while it’s calm.
3. A Home That’s Already Storm-Hardened
The worst time to prepare your home is when a hurricane is 48 hours out. Take a weekend now to trim tree limbs near power lines and your roof, since falling branches are one of the leading causes of storm damage and power outages in Texas. Clean your gutters, secure outdoor furniture, and know how to shut off your water and gas.
If you’re along the Gulf Coast, check your window protection and garage door bracing this week, while supplies are still on the shelves and contractors still have availability.
4.Outage Alerts and a Realistic Grid Game Plan
Texans know better than most that the power grid isn’t invincible. ERCOT (the Electric Reliability Council of Texas) manages electricity for about 90% of the state, and this is the time of year when extreme weather pushes it hardest, with hurricanes on the coast and heat waves everywhere else. Conservation alerts, rolling outages, and extended blackouts are a fact of Texas summers.
Sign up for ERCOT alerts and your local utility’s outage notifications today so you’re never caught off guard. Know how long your food will last in the fridge (about four hours) and freezer (about 48 hours if unopened). And be honest about what a multi-day outage in Texas summer heat would mean for your household, especially if anyone depends on medical equipment or is sensitive to extreme temperatures.
5. Backup Power That Turns On Automatically
Here’s the truth: you can’t control the weather or the grid, but you can control whether your home goes dark. A standby home generator is the single biggest storm-season advantage a Texas homeowner can have.
Unlike portable units, a whole-home Kohler generator turns on automatically within seconds of an outage, keeping your air conditioning, refrigerator, medical devices, and lights running whether you’re home or away. No gas cans, no extension cords, no waiting in the dark. For Texas families, backup power means safety, comfort, and peace of mind through hurricane season, summer heat waves, and everything the grid throws at you.
The Season Is Here. Is Your Home Ready?
Texas outages are predictable. Your power doesn’t have to be. With storm season already underway, generator installation calendars fill up fast the moment the first big system enters the Gulf.
Texas Elite Generators is your local expert in Kohler standby generator sales, installation, and maintenance. Schedule your free home assessment today, before the next storm makes the decision for you.