Bingley... I added that comment just to emphasize that reliance on one source was not a great idea... a better float charger with a battery monitoring function would have probably given warning, I just cheaped out the system...

my best recommendation... go with a quality generator that is portable and have a back up ( possibly an inverter run off your car)... convert it so that it can be run off a bulk gasoline tank, or propane/natural gas if needed for a long duration... figure how you will supply power to which appliances, and if back feeding through your circuit breakers, label the circuits, and if providing only 120V, change the breakers location to have them on the same 120v feed

I alternated the Honda 2 hours on and 4 off with the neighbors to keep their refrigerators cooled...and ran the inverter for about 3 hours nightly for my use, to power the TV and internet, and a dedicated power strip that controlled two 4x chargers, phone charger, and the 18v Ridgid battery charger for the construction fan... the inverter as a courtesy to neighbors as it is much quieter than the Honda

what frozen food I have was transferred to a 7 day cooler with 4 frozen jugs of water... perishable non frozen to an older 5 day cooler with 4 frozen jugs... I do not try to run my refrigerator, but could if necessary with the back fed 240v... a 120v line is available also and the circuits arranged to be fed by it

the portable inverter generator is my recommendation for the best emergency power source... my worst power outage in the recent years has been for 10 days in 2004... I survived that without either generator, was still working and had to contend with 90F temperatures at 11PM and I was getting to school by 7AM