Generator safety during a hurricane: avoiding carbon monoxide

Carbon monoxide (CO) is colorless and odorless — you can't see it, smell it, or taste it. It's produced by a generator's exhaust, and at high enough concentration it can incapacitate or kill within minutes, often before anyone in the home realizes something is wrong.

CO poisoning is a well-documented, leading cause of injury and death in the days after hurricanes and other major power outages, when portable generator use spikes as people try to keep the lights and refrigerator running. The danger isn't rare or theoretical — it's one of the most predictable hazards of storm recovery, and almost entirely preventable with the right setup.

• Never indoors. Not in a basement, not in a living space, not "just for a minute."
• Never in a garage — even with the door open. CO still builds up and seeps into the home; an open garage door does not make it safe.
• Never on a covered porch or patio. Enclosed or semi-enclosed spaces trap exhaust the same way a garage does.
• Never near windows, doors, or vents. CO can seep back into living spaces even when the generator is technically "outside," if it's too close to the home.

General safety guidance is to run a generator at least 20 feet from the house, with the exhaust pointed away from windows and doors, so fumes can't drift back inside.

• Install battery-powered carbon-monoxide detectors in your home — they work even when the power (and any hardwired alarms) are out.
• Let the generator cool completely before refueling, and never refuel it while it's running. Spilled fuel on a hot engine is a fire risk.
• Don't overload it. Add up what you're running and stay under its rated wattage rather than guessing.
• Use only heavy-duty, outdoor-rated extension cords in good condition — not household indoor cords.
• Never backfeed a generator into household wiring by plugging it directly into an outlet without a properly installed transfer switch. Backfeeding can send power back out onto utility lines and electrocute line workers restoring power outside, and it's illegal in most places.

Battery-based portable power stations — some with solar recharge options — avoid carbon-monoxide risk entirely, because there's no combustion and no exhaust. That makes them safe to use indoors, which is a real advantage for lower-draw needs like charging phones, running medical devices, or keeping a fan going overnight.

The tradeoff is capacity: a power station generally can't match a fuel generator's sustained output for heavy loads like air conditioning or a well pump. Many households end up covering both bases — see the hurricane prep checklist, which lists a generator or a large portable power station as the biggest comfort upgrade for a multi-day outage.

Can I run a generator in my garage with the door open?

No. Carbon monoxide can still build up in the garage and seep into the home even with the door open. A generator should always run outdoors, well away from the house, never in an attached or detached garage.

How far from the house should a generator be?

General safety guidance is at least 20 feet from the house, with the exhaust pointed away from windows, doors, and vents so fumes can't drift back inside.

What is generator backfeeding and why is it dangerous?

Backfeeding is connecting a generator directly to household wiring, usually through an outlet, without a properly installed transfer switch. It can send power back out onto utility lines and electrocute line workers restoring power outside, and it's illegal in most places.

Do I need a carbon-monoxide detector if I never run a generator indoors?

Yes. Carbon monoxide can still migrate indoors from a generator placed too close to windows or doors, even if it's technically outside. A battery-powered CO detector is cheap insurance regardless of where you run the generator.