How to Prepare Your Home or Business for a Power Outage: Electrical Readiness Tips for Hurricane Season

Angela Pender
Oct 21, 2025
3 min read

When hurricane season rolls around, most Floridians know to stock up on water, batteries, and nonperishable food, but few stop to think about their electrical systems until the power goes out. At Goodyear Electric, we’ve seen firsthand how a few proactive steps can make all the difference between riding out a storm comfortably or being left in the dark (literally).

Here’s how to make sure your home or business is ready for whatever this season brings.

1. Check Your Electrical Panel

Your breaker panel is the heart of your electrical system. If it’s outdated or overloaded, it could fail when you need it most.

Make sure all circuits are clearly labeled and breakers aren’t loose or showing signs of corrosion.
If your panel is older (especially brands like Federal Pacific or Zinsco), it’s worth having it inspected or replaced. These panels can pose safety risks.
Consider adding whole-home surge protection to prevent damage from sudden voltage spikes during lightning strikes or grid surges.

A quick panel inspection now can prevent expensive damage later.

2. Test and Protect Your GFCI Outlets

Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) outlets protect against electrical shock, especially in kitchens, bathrooms, and outdoor areas; places that can easily get wet during storms.

Press the “TEST” button on each outlet to make sure it trips properly.
If an outlet doesn’t reset or feels warm to the touch, call a licensed electrician to inspect it.
For older homes, consider upgrading to modern tamper-resistant GFCIs for extra safety.

3. Have a Backup Power Plan

Florida weather is unpredictable, and extended outages are common during hurricane season. A backup generator can keep essential systems running, from refrigerators and sump pumps to Wi-Fi routers and medical equipment.

Portable generators are a good short-term solution, but they must be used outdoors and properly connected.
Standby generators, like Generac whole-home systems, automatically start when the power goes out and can supply power to your entire home or business.

If you already have a generator, make sure it’s serviced before the season begins. Old fuel, clogged filters, and battery issues are common reasons generators fail when they’re needed most.

4. Safeguard Sensitive Electronics

Power surges often happen when the power is restored after an outage. Protect your expensive devices, TVs, computers, security systems, and smart home equipment, with surge protectors or a whole-home surge suppression system.

Tip: Don’t rely on $10 power strips alone. A layered surge defense, at the main panel and at individual devices, offers the best protection.

5. Schedule a Professional Electrical Safety Inspection

A licensed electrician can spot issues you might miss, like loose connections, undersized wiring, or overloaded circuits. An inspection before hurricane season can verify that:

Wiring is secure and up to current code
Your panel and grounding system are safe
Backup systems and transfer switches are working properly

It’s a simple way to get peace of mind before storms hit.

6. Bonus: Create an Electrical Readiness Checklist

For extra preparedness, print out a quick checklist and tape it inside your electrical panel or office utility room. Include:

Utility company emergency contact
Generator fuel level and maintenance date
Main breaker location and how to shut it off
Flashlight and battery stash location
Electrician contact (hint: add Goodyear Electric!)

Final Thoughts

You can’t control the weather, but you can control your readiness. A few proactive electrical safety steps can protect your home or business from outages, damage, and unnecessary downtime this hurricane season.

At Goodyear Electric, our licensed and insured team is here to help with generator installation, service upgrades, surge protection, and full electrical inspections, so you can face the next storm with confidence.