It is an issue that really hit the forefront in this area during the 2005 ice storm, how to use portable generators safely.
American Electric Power and the many electric crews in the region understand the use of portable generators to keep refrigerators powered, some cool air in the house, or for other essentials, but AEP Ohio does not recommend trying to power the entire house. They also say to turn off your main breaker so when power is restored there are not potentially deadly events. All the do's and don't's for portable generator use can be found at https://www.aepohio.com.
The big one and most obvious, do not ever run a generator in an enclosed area such as a garage. The generator needs to be outside and well ventilated or carbon monoxide poisoning could lead to a tragedy and it's happened around here. A New Knoxville couple died following the 2005 ice storm, as did a Hancock County man, and in 2008, a Van Wert County man died. All were killed by carbon monoxide poisoning related to portable generators being run in an enclosed area.
