Officials Issue Warning About Deadly Gas As a Result of Hurricane Damage

Florida residents may be safer after Hurricane Ian pounded the state, but they are not out of danger yet.

After #HurricaneIan passes, be careful going outside,” Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) urged in a Wednesday Twitter post. “Make sure to avoid downed power lines, avoid standing water, stay clear of trees, do not drive in standing water and keep generators 20 feet outside of your home.”

Approximately 42,000 linemen are responding to more than 1.9 million reported Florida power outages, according to a statement from DeSantis. The linemen have already restored power to more than 700,000 accounts in Southwest Florida.

During a Friday morning press conference, DeSantis explained that many of the counties hit hardest by Ian have widespread power outages. Almost 99 percent of Hardee County is currently without power, the governor noted, adding Charlotte and Lee Counties have reported almost 90 percent power loss.

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Homeowners and businesses who have not had power restored often rely on gas-powered generators to supply energy. A small generator can keep refrigerators cold, allow mobile devices to charge and run small appliances like toasters and microwaves.

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Generators killed more than one dozen Florida deaths in the wake of Hurricane Irma in 2017 and could claim more victims following Ian, DeSantis said.

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A problem with generators is the gas used to power them usually does not have the chemicals that are added to natural gas used in home heating, which makes it smell. Generators are valuable commodities after a catasrophe because only people with them have power, which everyone wants. Unattended outside generators often fall prey to theft so some owners keep the generators inside.

Internal combustion engines that power most generators produce colorless, odorless carbon monoxide gas as a combustion byproduct.

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Carbon monoxide produced in an enclosed space can cause unconsciousness in minutes, according to a Washington Post report.

“As people are focused upon rebuilding their lives, they’re not necessarily focused on the dangers of something like a generator helping them out by turning power back on,” Consumer Product Safety Commission Chairman Alexander Hoehn-Saric said in an interview.

One portable generator can produce as much carbon monoxide as hundreds of cars, the CPSC explained.

“Never use a generator inside your home or garage, even if doors and windows are open,” advised the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The federal agency recommends keeping generators at least 20 feet from homes receiving power from them and to install carbon monoxide detectors near sleeping areas.

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