A storm locker for a Gulfport, Biloxi or Ocean Springs business: generator, pumps and records
Set a 40ft container on the high side of the lot, blocked up, and load it in June with what reopens the business: the generator and pumps by the doors, water and supplies on pallets in the middle, records and electronics high on shelving at the back. It is a dry, locked steel box for equipment, not a shelter, and fuel never goes inside.
What goes where
Load it in the order you will need it. The generator and pumps go by the doors on their wheels, so they roll out the morning after. Water, tarps and supplies go on pallets in the middle. Records, electronics and anything that cannot get wet go high on 16 ft of shelving at the back, with the box blocked about 16 inches off the ground.
The plan set draws the load and the inventory sheet. That sheet also helps the conversation with your insurance agent, who may treat a locked container on the premises like any outbuilding.
What it is not
Loaded and level, a 40ft container is a six-ton steel box that keeps rain out. It is not a shelter, and it is not a substitute for the flood elevation your lot may require: if the lot takes water, so does the box.
Fuel never goes inside. It lives in a flammables cabinet outdoors. A steel box full of fuel vapor and a generator is the fire the storm did not start.
Order in June
Delivery typically takes 7–10 business days after payment in a normal week, and much longer the week a storm is named. Load it in June, walk it once a quarter, and run the generator on a schedule.
Most cities treat it as an accessory structure in the rear setback, and on the Coast the building department will have a view on anchoring. Ask before you order. For a household, see the storm box and are containers safe in a hurricane.
Restaurants: what goes in, and what never does
In: the generator, pumps, cords, a spare reach-in's parts, dry goods in sealed totes, paper goods, records and the point-of-sale hardware, high and dry. Never: fuel, propane, fryer oil or anything refrigerated. Those stay outside in proper storage, or in the walk-in on generator power.
The layout, drawn to the box
This is sheet 2 of the free Business Storm Locker plan set: the 40ft standard container drawn from real ISO dimensions, with every shelf, rack and opening placed. Generator and pumps by the doors, water and supplies on pallets, records and electronics high on 16 ft of shelving, blocked 16 inches up. Not a shelter.
All seven sheets: Cover and package price · Floor plan · Long-wall elevation: shelving and vents · Cross section: airflow and the generator · Site, pad and leveling · Parts, cut list and tools · Build order and disclaimer. You buy locally: eight 2x12s, eight blocks, pallets, extinguisher, fuel cabinet — roughly $330–$480.
See the Business Storm Locker package — container and kit, delivered price by ZIP →
Buying a container?
Longleaf sells used and one-trip 20ft and 40ft shipping containers, delivered by tilt-bed across the Pine Belt. Enter your ZIP for the delivered price — it comes straight from the supplier feed and already includes the haul. Locks, vents, shelving and lights are on the accessories page. We sell; we do not rent.
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