In 2012, Hurricane Sandy taught us an important lesson about survival. It's impossible for the government to rescue entire cities immediately following a disaster.

Even if you can make it to your local gas station, don't expect it to be operational either. Gas pumps use electric motors to dispense the gasoline. Without electricity, it's stuck in underground storage tanks. That's why you always see long lines at gas stations before a hurricane hits.

Unfortunately, most blackouts just happen, so advance preparation is vital.

How Much Gas is Enough?

Basically, we recommend stockpiling 48 HOURS worth of gasoline. The average consumption rate for a generator is around 0.67 gallons/hour. In other words, a 48-hour supply would be 32 gallons.

Do you really need that much? This is up to you. If you don't run your generator while you're sleeping, you can significantly reduce your runtime and save gasoline.

At a minimum, though, you should have 24 GALLONS of fuel on hand. This should buy enough time for the roads to clear and the gas stations to reopen.