YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - As winter melts away and the spring time approaches, a quick flash of lightning and crash of thunder may turn to instant darkness.

Professionals at both Home Depot and Do-Cut tell 21 News, purchasing a generator is the best way to get power back quickly during a severe weather power outage.

"You have needs where you're going to have to have heat, you're going to have to have maybe refrigeration for medication and things like this, so a back up generator is always one of my top priorities," says Buddy Colley, store manager at Home Depot in Boardman.

Two of the most popular types of generators are whole home and portable.

A whole home generator sits outside of a house. It needs to be installed by a professional electrician and connected to either a natural gas line or propane tank.

The cost of the whole home generator starts at about $2,500 and carries enough power to run an entire home.

"As long as you have natural gas flowing, it will run for weeks," says Dante Terzigni, president of Do-Cut.

Portable generator vary in power. To run most home appliances, at least 5,000 watts are needed.

The appliance can be self-installed or by a professional. When the generator is running, it's important to keep it outdoors because of gas fumes.

The cost of portable generators start at about $400.

Because of the cost, professionals at Home Depot and Do-Cut say homeowners don't tend to buy the appliance until after an emergency strikes. Both stores report the generators sell out quickly after any major storm.