Prepare now to avoid this deadly, hidden danger that often strikes during hurricane season

Now that it’s the start of hurricane season, you can never be storm-ready early enough.

While we typically think of the physical destruction from a hurricane, don’t forget about the more hidden but fatal threat that you can take steps right now to prevent.

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When a big storm like a hurricane hits, it often causes power outages, which can lead to an increased risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide is odorless and colorless and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says the invisible killer leads to more than 400 deaths each year.

Some of those deaths are caused by portable generators; many people use these when they lose power during a storm.

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“It should never be used indoors, always outdoors, 20 feet away from the house, and when I say never indoors, that means not in your basement, not in your garage, not even on your porch,” Karla Crosswhite with the CPSC said.

Check to make sure you have carbon monoxide detectors in your home and that they’re battery operated or battery backed up. It’s suggested that one detector is installed on every level of your home and outside of the sleeping areas.