Concur with the generator idea.
I bought a Kohler 17kW standby generator with transfer switch when I bought my house. While we haven't had all that many power outages, we were definitely glad when they happened. I think the longest stretch was about 6 hours.
17kW is enough to run the furnace, a/c, most lights in the house, the garage door openers, and even a couple of ovens before it starts bogging down.
I change the oil in the engine every year and just put a new 12VDC battery in it a few weeks ago, and it really is a handy thing to have.
I can make all the freakin' coffee I want when the power goes out. I've got Mr. Kohler cranking out the V's......
