CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Those in Hurricane Florence's storms path need to be prepared for the possibility of losing power to their homes for several hours or days.
NBC Charlotte's Bill McGinty has been researching the best and safest way to use a portable generator ahead of the potentially deadly storm.
-First rule of thumb, do not cut corners when it comes to safety. If you haven’t used your generator in a long time or if you are buying one for the first time, keep this information handy.
-The most serious warning is the carbon monoxide danger because portable generators will give off the deadly poisonous gas you can’t see or smell, and it can kill you. That’s why we never run these generators indoors or in a garage.
-Another tip, never add fuel while the unit is running or hot. Speaking of hot, many parts on it will get hot when it’s running, so wear gloves and keep children away from it.
-Also, use the proper power cords to run your appliances. An overloaded cord can cause a fire.
-Make sure the generator is properly grounded so you don’t risk electrocution, and it’s a good idea to keep a 5 foot buffer on all sides of it.
-I know this isn’t rocket science to a lot of you, but it’s important for a lot of people to hear because, in a 10 year period, 657 people lost their lives because of not operating their generators correctly.
