Ice storms and severe weather drive repeated outage events, concentrated in winter and spring.
Ice and Severe Storm Preparedness
Oklahoma's grid threat is not hurricanes but ice. The state sits in a corridor where warm Gulf moisture collides with Arctic air masses, producing ice storms that coat power lines and tree limbs with accumulations that can exceed one inch. In October 2020, an unusually early ice storm struck while trees still carried full foliage. The added surface area on leaves trapped far more ice than bare winter branches would, and the result was severe: more than 370,000 customers lost power statewide.
Oklahoma Gas & Electric, the state's largest utility serving roughly 700,000 customers, called it the second-largest storm in company history. Rural electric cooperatives reported over 4,200 destroyed poles and 9,000 damaged cross arms, with estimated infrastructure damage exceeding 26 million dollars. Some cooperative members did not regain power for more than two weeks.
For backup sizing, ice storms present a distinct challenge. They tend to strike during cold weather, when heating loads are high and solar recharge hours are at their shortest. A portable station sized only for summer cooling will fall short during a winter ice event that demands sustained heating support.
Federal disaster declaration for severe ice storms causing widespread power outages and infrastructure damage.
Source: FEMA DR-4575Federal disaster declaration for severe storms and tornadoes causing widespread damage across central Oklahoma.
Source: FEMA DR-4438NRI top hazard is Ice Storm, but Fire leads FEMA declarations with 19 of 56 total — a mix of wildfire and severe weather.
Use winter outage assumptions for baseline and keep surge headroom for compressors.
Circulation fan, communications, and medical support during a winter outage.
Load
214W
Target
24h
Minimum
8,500 Wh
Fan is for air circulation, not heating — power stations cannot safely run resistive heaters.
Size this scenario in calculatorAdd refrigeration to preserve food during a multi-day grid outage.
Load
421W
Target
48h
Minimum
33,300 Wh
Consider expandable systems or solar for events beyond 48 hours.
Size this scenario in calculatorCritical Note: No single portable power station in our database covers the full 24-hour baseline at this load (6,144 Wh max). Use solar recharge, load rotation, or expandable systems for longer events.
Ignoring cold-weather outage duration while focusing only on short severe-storm interruptions.
Choosing based on capacity alone without checking surge compatibility for motor loads.
Failing to predefine essential-load priority when outages overlap with weather hazards.
A 1,500W space heater drains a power station in 1-2 hours. Here's the honest math on battery-powered heating, plus smarter alternatives that actually work.
Startup surge, not running watts, causes most overload trips. Real OEM data from 49 devices, LRA math, motor physics, and a practical sizing visual.
For home backup, you need surge capacity for fridge compressors and enough Wh for multi-day outages. Here are the best options from our database of 33 stations.
Composite score: 82.3 / 100
Rating: Relatively High
Top modeled hazards: Ice Storm, Tornado, Heat Wave
Hurricane score: 38.3
Winter Weather score: 80.5
Wildfire score: 86.9
Total (2014-2023): 56
Most recent: 2023-07-19 Severe Storm
| Type | Count |
|---|---|
| Fire | 19 |
| Biological | 17 |
| Severe Storm | 12 |
| Severe Ice Storm | 4 |
| Flood | 2 |
| Tornado | 2 |
Required Wh = (Total Load W × Target Hours / Inverter Derate) × Safety Factor
Inverter derate: 0.70 (30% real-world loss)
Safety factor: 1.15
Rounding: Up to nearest 100 Wh
Oklahoma has an NRI composite risk score of 82.3 (Relatively High), with 56 federal declarations from 2014 to 2023. NRI top hazard is Ice Storm, but Fire leads FEMA declarations with 19 of 56 total — a mix of wildfire and severe weather.
For the primary scenario on this page (24-hour winter essential), the estimated minimum is 8,500 Wh for a 24-hour target. Refine this in the calculator with your actual devices.
NRI is a modeled risk index based on hazard exposure, vulnerability, and expected loss. FEMA declarations reflect federally declared incidents. They answer different questions — use both signals together for planning.
Assuming any large-capacity station can start critical motors without validating surge margins. See the common mistakes section above for more state-specific pitfalls.
