Hurricane season: 9 generator safety tips

Brittany Caldwell
·1 min read

The Seminole County Office of Emergency Management is partnering with long-term care facilities to help test generators before hurricane season.

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The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season starts on June 1.

In addition to checking the safety of your personal generator, it is also important to get a generator technician on the scene immediately after a hurricane.

Read: New to Florida? 9 helpful tips to get you through a hurricane

Here are nine safety tips:

  1. Never feed power from a portable generator into a wall outlet. This can kill linemen working to restore power or your neighbors served by the same transformer.

  2. Never run your generator in a garage, carport, crawl space, shed or porch. Place outdoors but under a cover to prevent electrocution if the unit gets wet. Be sure the generator isn’t positioned outside an open window, which can allow fumes into the home.

  3. Use a carbon monoxide alarm that’s battery-operated or has battery backup.

  4. Don’t use frayed, torn, or cut power cords. They can cause a fire or shock. Be sure all three prongs are intact and the cord is suitable for outdoor use.

  5. Store fuel and generator in ventilated areas away from natural-gas water heaters.

  6. Never have wet hands when operating a generator. Never let water come in contact with the generator.

  7. Most starters use rope pulls. If it uses a battery, keep it charged.

  8. Always turn the engine off before refueling and let the generator cool.

  9. Don’t spill fuel.

Read: 2024 hurricane season fewer than 100 days away; see how to prepare early

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