Many residents on the South Shore of Massachusetts are going at least one more day without electricity, relying on generators to keep their homes powered in the wake of this week's powerful nor'easter.
A Hanover resident who spoke to NBC10 Boston Thursday night was filling up gasoline containers to fuel his generator at home before the gas station ran out.
"Right now it means a warm house. One room with lights and a warm house,” he said. "I had to go as far north as Quincy to get gas yesterday."
Greg Ross, who also lives in Hanover, was relieved he could continue powering his home for this family for one more night after struggling to find an available gas station.
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“I was here this morning and there were probably 30 to 40 cars in here trying to weave their way in and out," he said.
A line of cars was seen snaking around a street in the South Shore with people trying to gas up at the pump to keep their generators running.
That has kept the Abington Fire Department busy with calls related to emergency portable generators.
"We're getting high carbon monoxide levels, carbon monoxide detectors are going off,” said Abington Deputy Fire Chief Jack Glynn.
Glynn said people using the portable gasoline-powered generators should:
- Keep them outside and 20 feet away from windows
- Use approved gas cans when filling up and storing fuel
- Keep those gas cans away from your home or in a shed
- If lighting up candles, do not leave them unattended and keep a cover nearby, and make sure they are away from fabric and pets
FM Generator owner Michael Molway suggested avoiding the portable, rope-start type of generators.
“You really have to be diligent with them. You have to put them outside, you have to make sure that the exhaust is outside, away from the house, run the extension cords into the house,” said Molway.
“Of course you have to try to keep them dry, and it's hard to do that in the middle of a torrential rain storm, so we try not encourage people to buy those,” he added.
Some residents in Hanover have been told by their electric service provider their power won’t be restored until Saturday, meaning they are going to be relying on generators until then.
