As of late September 2026, the charcoal grill at my Port St. Lucie house lives out on the patio, and a bag of charcoal sits in the storm kit. The habit I want to talk about shows up after a storm, when the power is out, the rain hasn’t quit and dinner still has to happen. The grill gets dragged under the screened lanai roof, or just inside the garage with the door rolled up, because nobody wants to stand in the rain flipping burgers. The screen or the open door feels like plenty of air.
Here in Florida, I understand the pull. I have stood on my own lanai with the rain coming in sideways and thought about it.
St. Lucie County’s hurricane preparedness guide has already settled it. Its emergency kit checklist includes extra charcoal or propane fuel for outdoor cooking, and the guide is plain about the rest: “Never cook with any of these items inside your house. The smoke and fumes are deadly.” Its generator tips add that you cannot see or smell carbon monoxide, and they put portable generators outside in a well-ventilated area, never inside a home, including garages…