HURRICANE LAURA... MORE PEOPLE
DIED FROM CARBON MONOXIDE
POISIONING... THAN FROM THE
HURRICANE ITSELF.A DEVICE
DESIGNED TO BRING YOU SOME
COMFORT DURING A POWER
OUTAGE... CAN BE DEADLY IF NOT
USED PROPERLY.((JACQUE))WITH
MORE THAN 200-THOUSAND
CUSTOMERS STILL WITHOUT POWER
ACROSS THE STATE... NBC SIX's
ALEXANDRA MEACHUM SHARES WHAT
YOU SHOULD KNOW... BEFORE
OPERATING A GENERATOR.
3
(Alexandra Meachum)DON TUBBS
WITH TUBBS HARDWARE IN BOSSIER
HAS BEEN SELLING PORTABLE
GENERATORS FOR DECADES.HE SAYS
PEOPLE RUSH TO BUY THEM DURING
POWER OUTAGES SO THEY NEED TO
UNDERSTAND HOW THEY WORK.
STARTING WITH, DO NOT RUN YOUR
GENERATOR IN THE RAIN.
GENERATORS USE GASOLINE,
DIESEL, OR PROPANE TO CONDUCT
ELECTRICTY SO IT'S DANGEROUS
AROUND WATER. (Don Tubbs,
Owner of Tubbs Hardware)"Turn
your generator off and let it
cool before you gas it up or
diesel it up because we don't
want it to be a flame or
hazard, a spark to take place
and then your holding a gas
can in your hands like this
and you've got a bomb in your
hands."(Alexandra Meachum)HE
SAYS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM HE
SEES IS PEOPLE BACKFEEDING
GENERATORS, BY PLUGGING THEM
DIRECTLY INTO A HOME'S
ELECTRICAL PANEL.(Tubbs)"Never
ever back feed your house with
a generator. We had a lot
people come in from down south
during this hurricane and they
seem to be kind of comfortable
with backfeeding their home
with a generator. Us up here
in North Louisiana tell them
never, ever do that because
it's dangerous."(Alexandra
Meachum)HE SAYS YOU NEED TO
USE A TRANSFER SWITCH INSTEAD.
WHICH POWERS CERTAIN BREAKERS
YOU WANT ON, SUCH AS YOUR
REFRIGERATOR, A.C. AND FREEZER.
HE SAYS A LICENSED ELECTRIAN
CAN SET UP YOUR TRANSFER
SWITCH, AND IT'S WISE TO DO
THIS BEFORE THE NEXT BIG
WEATHER EVENT.(Alexandra
Meachum stand up)"He says it's
important to make sure the
generator is away from your
home with the fumes pointing
away."(Alexandra Meachum)
PEOPLE DIE FROM CARBON
MONOXIDE POISONING SO IT'S
VITAL TO MAKE SURE THE EXHAUST
FLOWS AWAY FROM YOUR HOME AND
YOUR NEIGHBOR'S.AND YOU HAVE A
CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR.
ALEXANDRA MEACHUM NBC SIX NEWS.
3
((DAN))HE ADDS, MAKE SURE YOU
KEEP PLENTY OF GAS ON HAND
WHEN YOU'RE RUNNING A
GENERATOR SO YOU DON'T RUN OUT.
AND CHECK THE OIL BEFORE
ADDING GAS SO IT DOESN'T BURN
UP THE ENGINE.
3
((JACQUE))AS RELIEF EFFORTS
CONTINUE... THE THREAT OF
COVID-19 REMAINS.GOVERNOR JOHN
BEL EDWARDS SAYS THE LAST
SURGE IN CASES IN LOUISIANA
