Hurricane Isabel Now Expected To Hit The United States

National Hurricane Center ^ | 9/14/03 | NHC

[rwfromkansas]

I think it has sped up some...going 13 mph now, faster than before.

[SunnyUsa]

I just bought a portable generator

We rolled ours out today (outside the garage) and ran it for a bit, to make sure it's working. It runs on gas, so like someone else said, it must be vented outside (outside the garage even), so the fumes don't build up in the house.

[Howlin]

I thought I read that if the eye contracts it will strengthen. Am I wrong about that?

[oceanview]

that's what that latest model shows, that divergent line through the carolinas is the model that weights more heavily the comment you just noted.

next update is 11PM eastern I think, let's see what that one shows. eventually, some kind of trend is going to develop here.

[Howlin]

it must be vented outside (outside the garage even), so the fumes don't build up in the house.

Don't even THINK about running that thing without a CO detector in your house. Please.

[Howlin]

I lost my only child to carbon monoxide poisoning from a generator during a power outage; it was properly vented.

Go back and get a CO detector.

[oceanview]

if it speeds up, and the comment highlighted in #514 holds up, the more likely it is to make landfall south of the consensus which now takes it up the chesapeake as seen in many of the graphics here. so that would mean NC.

[meyer]

Keep reading. Do not use indoors.

I'll add to that that if you use it in the garage, you must have the garage door open, and any doors to the house closed. Also, be aware that if you run an extension cord through an open window or door, close it as tightly as possible without pinching the cord and seal off the air leaks near the generator as best as you can.

There's going to be a time period during the storm where you just won't be able to run the generator. It is for use after the worst of the weather is passed.

burns fossil fuel. Byproduct of burning fossil fuel is carbon monoxide. It would be like parking your running car inside your home.

Exactly - its pretty much the same as a small car engine.

Pay attention to electrical safety with the generator as well. Don't hook it up directly to the fuse box unless you use an approved, properly installed selector switch that disconnects the house from the grid when you connect the generator. Otherwise, you can electrocute the lineman down the street that is trying to rebuild the circuit to your house(it has happened more than once). Also, if you are using an extension cord to get power into the house, be sure that it is in good shape, weatherproof, and is rated for the amount of appliance load you are serving. Finally, make sure that you don't overload the generator. Add up those watts carefully!

[Howlin]

The faster it moves, the more southern it will hit.

[oceanview]

whoa, this post just floored me. good lord...

[rwfromkansas]

Everything has the hand of God on it, my friend. Even bad things. He is the Sovereign.

[Howlin]

Sorry; I have VERY strong feelings about that; if you use ANY kind of gas, get a CO detector. And I mean gas logs, too.

[Gabz]

When everyone and his brother is preparing and hitting the road at the same time, the stores are crowded, they run out of everything you need, and you've never seen the like of the traffic jam.

You've got that right...............

[SC Swamp Fox]

I just bought a portable generator.

Don't use it indoors. It would be like running your car in a closed garage.

[deport]

If it does hit the U.S., there will be oodles and gobs of time to prepare and hit the road since everyone is watching this one.

That is the good thing about hurricanes. You can prepare.

---

Have lots of 'canes up in Kansas, do they? LOL

[meyer]

I lost my only child to carbon monoxide poisoning from a generator during a power outage; it was properly vented.

I'm very sorry to hear that.

Go back and get a CO detector.

Good advice.

[groanup]

I had the majority of the furniture and artifacts from one of my wife's relative's estate in my basement the year Opal came through. My basement leaks but has an electric sump that keeps it dry. The power went off in the middle of the night and I went downstairs and worked for two hours putting all that stuff on platforms, etc. During that time Opal stopped raining and never rained again. What a pain!

[NautiNurse]

It is for use after the worst of the weather is passed.

Excellent point--which leads to another---

It is not wise to burn hurricane oil lamps or candles during exceedingly high winds. If debris breaches the structure of your building, a fire would be virtually impossible to control.

[meyer]

Sorry; I have VERY strong feelings about that; if you use ANY kind of gas, get a CO detector. And I mean gas logs, too.

I have gas logs - and a CO detector across the room from the fireplace.

In my old house, I had a CO detector in the basement not too far from a ventless gas heater. Although there was very little CO reading on the detector when I used the heater, I found that a car can raise CO in a hurry. I had an attached garage under the house, next to the basement. One winter day, I was going to head for the store. I opened the garage door, started the car, and realized that I had forgotten my wallet. So, I opened the door back into the basement and ran upstairs to get the wallet. In the 30-45 seconds that I had that door open (and the garage door was also open wide), the detector reading rose high enough to alarm. Internal combustion engines apparently produce a large amount of CO in a hurry.

[Howlin]

No problems. As the guy said tonight on MSNBC, North Carolinians are PROFESSIONAL hurricane survivors!