What tends to go wrong here
- Nor'easters. Heavy snow or rain, strong wind and coastal flooding that can drag on past a single day.
- Storm surge. Sandy in 2012 showed how quickly low parts of the city and Long Island can flood, swamping basements, boilers, pumps and electrical rooms.
- Flash flooding. Summer cloudbursts can overload city drains and send creeks over their banks in the Catskills, Adirondacks and Southern Tier.
- Blackouts. When the power fails, booster pumps in tall buildings stop and upper-floor toilets may not refill.
- Burst mains. One break can shut off water to a block, an office tower or a school.
- Boil-water notices. Tap water may still run but be unsafe for handwashing untreated, which changes hygiene on site.
- Lake-effect and ice storms. Upstate, deep snow and ice can shut roads and drop power lines for days.
Who calls for temporary units
- Buildings, offices, schools and shops with no water or sewer.
- Line crews, tree crews and debris haulers.
- Restoration and remediation firms.
- Shelters, warming and cooling centers and relief sites.
- Staging yards for crews, equipment and supplies.
- Families living in a house under flood repair.
Ahead of, during and after the event
- Ahead. If a big storm is coming and units are already on site, choose whether to tie them down, move them or have them picked up. Units near the shore or on flood-prone streets are exposed. Reach out early, because once roads close we may not be able to get in.
- During. Keep off the roads and listen to local officials. No one should be moving or cleaning units while conditions are dangerous.
- After. Inspect your site only once it is safe, then phone with precise details. Bridges, tunnels and roads may still be shut, and calls arrive from the whole region at once.
What we can and cannot promise
In an emergency we do not commit to a delivery time. Closures, flooded routes, fuel shortages and region-wide demand all limit what can happen. We will listen, tell you straight what we can set up and roughly when, and keep you posted. The sharper your details, the better the plan. See our emergency porta potty rental page.
Information to gather before calling
- The street address or a dropped pin, and the best way in around closures.
- Headcount and how many days you expect to need units.
- What the ground looks like: dry, flooded, iced, snowed over or covered in debris.
- Whether a checkpoint, front desk or building manager controls entry.
- Someone on site we can reach by cell phone, with their name.
Where to set units after the event
- Keep them dry. Choose solid ground clear of floodwater, fallen wires and debris heaps.
- Keep a truck lane. Each unit has to be reachable for cleaning.
- Boost hygiene. With water off or a boil-water notice in effect, handwashing stations carrying their own supply and sanitizer stations become essential. Follow health department advice on handwashing while the notice lasts.
- Add light. In a blackout, plan lighting for units used at night.
- Plan for cold. A winter outage brings frozen tanks and slick walkways. See the winter weather guide.
Apartment and office towers
A building with no power or water may need units at street level, in the lobby, in a garage or on a loading dock. Work out with management where they can stand and how residents or tenants will get to them. In NYC, a unit on the sidewalk can need a city permit; see the street and sidewalk guide.
Shelters and relief hubs
Shelters, distribution points and staging hubs serve young and old, people with disabilities and everyone in between, often for days on end. Estimate on the high side, include accessible units on solid paths and add sinks. Our accessible restroom guide covers routes and siting. Big staging yards may be dirt or mud, so describe the surface on the phone.
Long rebuilds
Flood repairs and reconstruction can last months. Schedule regular servicing and look at long-term rentals. Recovery crews are often construction crews, so the OSHA sanitation guide may be relevant.
Records for insurers
Insurers, adjusters and public assistance programs sometimes ask for records of equipment on site. Find out what they want and mention it on the phone. We cannot predict or promise the outcome of any claim.
Decide now, not mid-crisis
Facility managers, schools and towns save time by agreeing in advance where units would stand, who approves the location and who makes the call. File that plan alongside your emergency contacts.
Official instructions come first. Once conditions are safe, phone us for a quote and describe what you need and where.
Reviewed November 5, 2026. General planning information only; it is not legal, engineering or regulatory advice.