TAMPA - After Frances knocked out the power Saturday at her Seffner home, Melissa Covington considered her gasoline-powered generator a godsend.
It provided enough juice to run fans, the refrigerator, television and lights, with enough left over to keep some neighbors' homes habitable, too.
But Covington learned a hard lesson about generators Tuesday, which she explained while standing outside St. Joseph's Childrens Hospital, where her three children were recovering from carbon monoxide poisoning.
"I know you need them, but definitely keep them outside," she said. "They're a killer."
Emergency responders often say that the aftermath of a storm is as much of a threat as the storm itself. There is storm surge and fallen power lines. Flooding causes mildew and mold, which can trigger a host of health problems.
The loss of electricity also creates hazards. Tuesday provided some examples.
In New Tampa, 2-year-old Shani Melvin fell backward 13 feet from a second-floor window into a mulch bed below. Her family had left the window open because their apartment was without electricity.
Shani was treated at Tampa General Hospital and released.
In Seffner, 17-year-old Ashley, 10-year-old Allen and 8-year-old Aaron Covington stayed home while their parents worked. Melissa Covington said she thought her three children were safe because the home's windows and doors were open, as was the garage, where the generator was running.
She also called home once an hour to check on her family.
Less than two hours after leaving for work, though, Allen spoke of feeling dizzy and walking into things. Melissa Covington headed home.
Soon after, Ashley found her brothers unconscious in the garage. She dragged them outside. Woozy herself, she called 911 and stumbled next door to the home of Hayward Bryant, a retired Tampa police detective.
"She's the real hero," Bryant said.
Bryant ran over to shut off the generator and tend to the boys while his wife called 911.
Dr. Timothy Holt, an emergency room physician at St. Joseph's, cautioned that odorless, colorless carbon monoxide can be quickly debilitating or even deadly. Symptoms include nausea and dizziness.
Having windows and doors open is not the same thing as being well ventilated, Holt said. He said people should not run gas-powered generators indoors.
Covington, watching her sons leave the hospital, said she had learned her lesson.
"This was a scary morning," she said. "It could have been really worse."
