Generator Dangers

Gustav Hurricane Katrina Whether you plan to get a generator or dust off the old one safety should come first when putting together your plan.

by Diana Lucio

Published: Wed, August 27, 2008 - 9:22 pm CST Last Updated: Thu, August 28, 2008 - 1:39 pm CST

While many of you are in a hurry to get to the checkout line with your hurricane supplies. Some stores like Lowes are having to stock up themselves after running out of generators. Although Lowe's is completely sold out of generators, Store Manager Scott Lankford says they still have plenty of Carbon Monoxide alarms and you should never get one without the other. "Most people will try to park their generator underneath the porch or somewhere like that, the fumes off the generator could come back into their house and as you know Carbon Monoxide is a bad thing, this is gonna save them from that also,"Said Lankford.
Julio Garcia with Springhill Medical Center says while people are concerned about keeping cool, they should be just as much when it comes to preventing Carbon Monoxide poisoning. "When people are using these air conditioners they're using them at night to keep cool when everyone's asleep so here we have an odorless colorless gas that's not going to show any symptoms until you're overcome by it, "Said Garcia a registered nurse for Springhill Medical Center.
While it can be fatal if not treated right away, Garcia says, here are some symptoms to look out for, "disorientation, headache, nausea, vomiting dizziness..flu like symptoms, sometimes it's mistaken for the flu."
If you plan on using a generator, make sure you place it in a ventilated area and at least 20 feet from your house. You shouldn't place them next to an air conditioning unit because that could recycle Carbon Monoxide fumes back into your home. Another tip, make sure your generator is secured to the ground at all times.

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