Generator Safety and Carbon Monoxide Risk During Power Outages
Prevent carbon-monoxide poisoning and electrical injury while using backup power during outages.
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Quick summary
Life-safety first
Portable generators must run outside only, never in homes, garages, porches, or carports.
Checklist / workflow
1. Non-negotiable rules
- Never indoors/garage/porch
- At least 20 feet from openings
- Exhaust away from windows
- CO alarms on every level
- Cool before refueling
- Never backfeed
Use the live dashboard as a public-signal scan, then verify any action item through official agency systems.
Check the live HazardNow dashboard
Use this page to understand Generator Safety and Carbon Monoxide Risk During Power Outages. Use the live dashboard to see current alerts, infrastructure stress, weather, wildfire, travel, public-health, supply-chain, and stability indicators in one place. Focus on Power grid, Local weather, Fuel, Local alerts in the live view.
Practical checklist
Generator placement checklist
- Outside only on dry, stable surface
- At least 20 feet from home openings
- Exhaust directed away from doors/windows
- CO alarms working on each level
- Cool before refueling
- No backfeeding into home wiring
CO symptoms and immediate action
- Headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, confusion
- Move to fresh air immediately
- Call 911 and seek medical care
- Do not re-enter until responders say safe
Dashboard signals to compare
- Power grid
- Local weather
- Fuel
- Local alerts
Official sources to verify
Common mistakes to avoid
- Garage with door open
- Porch use
- No CO alarm
- Backfeeding
Related tools
Related guides
HazardNow is supplemental public situational awareness. It should not replace official emergency-management systems, dispatch channels, incident command instructions, or local public alerts.
Last reviewed: .