This hurricane generator checklist gives you the 21 jobs in order: a week out, when the watch goes up, while it’s running, and after the storm. The three numbers to remember are at least 20 feet from the house, a 48-hour hurricane watch clock, and a 3-day fuel floor.
This page is built to be printed from your browser and stuck on the garage wall. There’s no PDF download to hunt for; use your browser’s print command and you’ve got the paper checklist.
A week out: test and stock (items 1-7)
1. Start the generator TODAY, not when the watch goes up. A generator that sat all year may not start, and the worst time to find that out is after the plywood and fuel lines are already full. If it cranks but won’t fire, runs only on choke, or surges under load, use our guide to why generators won’t start after sitting before the storm clock gets tight.
Let it run long enough to prove it can start cleanly, settle into normal speed, and accept a basic load. Shut it down if you smell raw fuel, see leaks, hear grinding, or see damaged wiring.
2. Check the oil and stock a spare quart. Small inverter generators don’t hold much oil; Champion publishes a 0.6 qt capacity for its 2,500W ultralight class. One spare quart of the right oil can cover multiple changes on small units, while larger open-frame generators hold more, so check the manual before the storm.
Low-oil shutoff is there to save the engine, but it can also stop your generator during an outage. Spare oil is a run-continuity item, not just a maintenance item.
3. Refresh the fuel. Untreated pump gasoline can start degrading in as little as 30 days, per Gold Eagle, maker of STA-BIL. STA-BIL’s published claim is that treated fuel stays fresh up to 24 months at 1 oz per 2.5 gallons, so treat fresh fuel and date every can.
Don’t build storm prep around mystery gas from the back of the shed. If you don’t know when it was bought or treated, use it in a vehicle before the storm and start over with fresh fuel.
4. Do the fuel math for YOUR generator. Fuel planning changes fast by generator size, and guessing is how people run dry during a long outage. Our hurricane fuel-storage math guide breaks this down, but the short version is a 3-day floor and a 7-day comfortable target.
These planning figures use manufacturer-published runtimes converted at 12 run-hours/day:
| Generator class | Planning load | Fuel per day |
|---|---|---|
| 2,500W-class inverter | 25% load | About 1.2 gal of gas per day |
| 4,500W-class inverter | 25% load | About 1.9 gal of gas per day |
| 9,500W-class unit | 25% load | About 6.6 gal of gas per day |
A small inverter can stretch fuel a long way if you’re only cycling a fridge, freezer, lights, and device charging. A big open-frame unit can burn through cans quickly, so decide what really needs power before you fill the whole garage with gasoline.
5. Fill the propane bottles properly. A true 20 lb propane fill is about 4.7 gallons. Exchange-rack bottles are typically 15 lb, or about 3.5 gallons, and the sleeve usually says so.
Propane does not degrade in storage, which makes it useful storm fuel for dual-fuel generators. The tradeoff is that “full” doesn’t always mean the same thing, so know whether you own a properly filled bottle or a lighter exchange bottle.
6. Put batteries in the CO alarms. CPSC recommends battery-operated or battery-backup CO alarms on every level of the home and outside sleeping areas, tested monthly. Do that before the storm, not after the generator is already running in the rain.
Carbon monoxide has no useful warning smell, and generator exhaust can become deadly fast. If your alarm plan is thin, read our generator CO safety guide and fix it while stores still have batteries on the shelf.
Check the First Alert CO400 carbon monoxide alarm price on Amazon →
7. Lay out cords rated for the job. Use outdoor-rated, heavy-gauge extension cords sized to the load. Damaged cords and coiled-up cords are a fire risk under heavy load, so inspect the jacket, ends, and plugs, then uncoil each cord fully before use.
If you have a 240V generator inlet, check the connector now. Many home generator inlets use a twist-lock L14-30 connector, and that is not the cord you want to discover missing after the wind starts.
Check L14-30 generator cord prices on Amazon →
When the watch goes up: 48 hours (items 8-13)
8. Know what the watch/warning clocks mean. NOAA says a hurricane watch means hurricane conditions are possible and is issued 48 hours before the expected onset of tropical-storm-force winds. A hurricane warning means hurricane conditions are expected and is issued 36 hours before tropical-storm-force winds, per NOAA’s watch vs. warning explainer.
Those clocks are tied to tropical-storm-force winds, not the eye’s arrival. That matters because prep gets hard once those winds arrive; fuel runs, cord staging, ladder work, and canopy setup all get more dangerous.
9. Top off every can and treat it. Fill clean, approved gasoline containers and treat the fuel the same day. Date the cans so you know what’s storm stock and what needs to be rotated later.
Stay inside storage limits. NFPA 30 caps gasoline at 25 gallons in a dwelling in approved containers, 10 gallons in an attached garage, and none in basements; local codes are often stricter.
Check STA-BIL Storage stabilizer prices on Amazon →
10. Run a loaded test for 20-30 minutes. Don’t just prove the generator can idle. Plug in the actual refrigerator, freezer, sump setup, or other planned loads and confirm the generator carries them without tripping, bogging, or hunting.
This is also where you find bad cords, weak plugs, and unrealistic load plans. If the generator struggles during a short loaded run, it won’t get better during a wet outage.
11. Pick and clear the run spot NOW. Choose a spot at least 20 feet from the home with the exhaust pointed away from windows, doors, and vents. Put it on ground that won’t flood, and think through where cords will run before rain and debris make that decision for you.
If your yard is tight, plan the safest workable placement before the watch turns into a warning. Our generator placement and distance guide can help you think through openings, wind direction, and practical cord routing.
12. Stage rain protection. A portable generator should not run soaked or in standing water. Use a generator canopy or cover designed for running generators, and set it up before the weather makes assembly a wrestling match.
Don’t solve rain by moving the generator into a garage, porch, or carport. The cover’s job is to keep rain off an outdoor generator while exhaust still has open air to disperse.
13. Charge everything that stores electrons. Charge phones, battery packs, tool batteries, power stations, lanterns, and radios before the storm. The generator shouldn’t burn fuel early in the outage just to charge small electronics.
This also gives you backup lighting and communication while the generator is off. The more small loads you can handle from charged batteries, the less gasoline or propane you waste.
While it’s running: the rules that keep you alive (items 14-18)
14. Outside only, 20 feet minimum, exhaust away. CPSC says to run generators outside only, at least 20 feet from the home, with exhaust pointed away from windows, doors, and vents. CPSC also says never run a generator inside a home or garage, even with doors and windows open, because carbon monoxide from a generator can kill within minutes.
In its 2026 hurricane-season generator warning, CPSC says more than 200 people die each year in the U.S. from accidental non-fire CO poisoning associated with consumer products, and more than 100 of those deaths are linked to portable generators. Don’t run one in a garage, carport, or porch and hope open air is enough.
15. Never backfeed. Do not plug a generator into a wall outlet. Backfeeding can electrocute line workers and can destroy the generator when utility power returns.
If you want to power home circuits, use a transfer switch or interlock installed by a licensed electrician. A homemade cord or shortcut is not storm prep; it’s a hazard.
16. Kill it and let it cool before refueling. Shut the generator off and let it cool before adding gasoline. Spilled gasoline on hot engine parts can ignite, and a running generator gives you less control if the can slips or splashes.
Make refueling a routine: loads off, generator off, cool-down, fuel cap opened slowly, fuel added carefully, cap tight, spill check, then restart. Never refuel a running or hot generator.
17. Run it in shifts, not around the clock. A 12-hour duty plan saves fuel and engine hours compared with letting the generator drone all day and all night. Cycle critical loads, chill the fridge and freezer, recharge devices, then shut down when you can.
Load management matters more than bragging about generator size. Use our generator wattage calculator to sort must-run loads from nice-to-have loads before you start burning fuel.
18. Keep cords dry, uncoiled and out of walkways. Check cords at every refuel stop. Look for hot ends, cuts, pinched jackets, loose plugs, and any spot where water is pooling around a connection.
Keep cords fully uncoiled under heavy load so they can shed heat. Route them where people won’t trip over them in the dark, and don’t let doors or windows crush the cord jacket.
After the storm (items 19-21)
19. Inspect before restart if it got wet or flooded. If the generator was soaked, tipped, submerged, or sitting where water reached the engine or outlets, don’t just dry the outside and pull the cord. Water inside a generator is a service visit, not a restart.
Check the run spot too. Floodwater, shifted debris, damaged cords, and changed wind direction can turn yesterday’s safe setup into today’s bad one.
20. Log the hours. Write down run time each day, even if it’s just a note taped to the fuel can. Oil-change intervals come fast in a multi-day outage, and low oil can stop the generator when you still need it.
After power returns, do the cleanup maintenance instead of shoving the unit back in the corner. Our portable generator maintenance guide covers the reset work that keeps it ready for the next outage.
21. Reset for the next one. Refill what you used, re-treat gasoline, re-date the cans, and put the cords, oil, funnel, and cover back together as a kit. Don’t assume the next storm will give you a clean shopping window.
Hurricane season runs to November 30. If you used the generator once, treat that as a live-fire checklist and fix whatever annoyed you before the next watch goes up.
Bottom line
Print this checklist, do the week-out items now, and use the watch clock for final fuel, cord, and placement prep. If you’re still choosing a unit, our main hurricane generator guide can help you match generator size to the loads you actually need.
The CPSC distance rule is the one that keeps your family alive: outside only, at least 20 feet from the house, exhaust pointed away from openings. Everything else matters, but that rule is non-negotiable.
Frequently asked questions
How far from the house should a generator be during a hurricane?
CPSC says to run a generator outside only, at least 20 feet from the home, with exhaust pointed away from windows, doors, and vents. Never run one inside a home or garage, even with doors and windows open.
When should I start hurricane generator prep?
Start a week out by testing the generator, checking oil, refreshing fuel, and staging cords. A hurricane watch gives you 48 hours, and a warning gives you 36 hours, but prep gets difficult once tropical-storm-force winds arrive.
How much fuel should I have ready?
Use a 3-day floor and a 7-day comfortable target. Planning figures at 12 run-hours/day range from about 1.2 gal/day for a 2,500W-class inverter to about 6.6 gal/day for a 9,500W-class unit.
Can I run my generator in the garage with the door open?
No. CPSC says never run a generator inside a home or garage, even with doors and windows open, and more than 100 portable-generator CO deaths happen each year in the U.S.
Can I plug my generator into a wall outlet?
Never plug a generator into a wall outlet. That is backfeeding, and it can electrocute line workers and destroy the generator when utility power returns; use a transfer switch or interlock installed by a licensed electrician.
Is this checklist printable?
Yes. Print the page from your browser; it’s laid out to work as a paper checklist for the garage wall, and there is no separate PDF download.
