A generator under an awning outside an open window is no different than running the generator inside a home. Even a short run of the generator will produce deadly levels of carbon monoxide in a building.
Generators MUST be under tarps, in (non-living space) out buildings, or otherwise weather protected, tenS of feet or more AWAY from living quarters. There is risk with a generator twenty feet from an open garage door in a driveway, especially if the winds are right.
A rope between two trees, a ten dollar tarp stretched over the rope and guyed down, well away from the house, will save many from CO poisoning, but sadly, many don’t understand or won’t make the effort to ensure their own safety.
Personally, I do not show light or other indications I have power during hours of darkness either, too much incentive for people who don’t have what they need and are willing to cross lines to get it. Last place I want to be is near the only lights on for miles around.
from: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6000312.html
CenterPoint, Entergy Texas and the Texas-New Mexico Power Co. — the three firms charged with electricity transmission in Houston and the surrounding areas — all said Saturday evening that most customers were still without power — approaching 5 million people on the Texas Gulf Coast.
Texas-New Mexico Power said its main transmission line into Brazoria County is down and urged those who evacuated to stay away for now.
CenterPoint service crews rolled into neighborhoods to make repairs where they could starting at 11 a.m. Saturday. The company says the Federal Aviation Administration prevented it from deploying a squad of helicopters used to make aerial damage assessments until late in the day. In the first hours after the hurricane, the FAA allowed only medical transport to take flight.
Clamoring for daylight, CenterPoint says it got six helicopters into the air late in the afternoon to take videos and pictures. The biggest question is how severely the transmission system is damaged.
More than just poles and wires, the transmission system is the vast network of metal towers that run along grassy rights of way, bundling massive megawatts and delivering them to neighborhood substations.
Floyd LeBlanc, a spokesman for CenterPoint, said initial reports suggest that up to 30 percent of the company's transmission system was hard hit by the storm. The company will have a better idea about damage today after more aerial assessments.
Hey Nauti:
I am in the Harris county part of Friendswood and got power back last night at 10pm or so. All of our power cables are underground. The transformer is at the end of the street and I assume they cut us off preemptively on Friday night at 7pm(sharp) before it got bad and that transformer never blew. I had made ice for 2 solid days and had about 50lbs block ice in my 2 freezers (plus lots and lots of beef, pork, chicken, etc.) For future reference-the blocks last far longer than the cubes. Only problem with the blocks is they are too big to put in my gin and tonic. We are ok here. Twister took out my 20 year old pine tree (sparing my car) and deposited my neighbor’s trampoline (200lbs +) on my patio. Just got word my daughter in Pasadena has power.
What pictures did you have of Bolivar?
Thanks