Power outages spread across southern New England on Saturday as a rare September nor'easter moved in, and state officials are urging families to keep portable generators outside and away from the house. As of 10:30 a.m. Saturday, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency's (MEMA) outage tracker showed 7,488 outages, Boston 25 News reported, and a high wind warning covered the entire Massachusetts coastline. Rhode Island's state fire marshal issued a separate generator warning before the storm arrived.
The greatest health threat may come after the lights go out. Carbon monoxide from a generator running in a garage, in a basement, or near an open window has no color or smell, and it can sicken everyone in a home before anyone recognizes the danger. The National Weather Service expects rain and gusty winds to continue into Monday.
