Hundreds of people suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning in 2006 after the Hanukkah Eve wind storm knocked out power. Ten of those people died.

Health officials want to make sure that doesn't happen again.

Dr. Steven Kirtland, pulmonary and critical care specialist, said the hospitals are always busier the day after a major power outage.

"And this is very predictable," he said. "This has happened in multiple storms throughout the United States. It happened here in 1993 during our Inauguration Day storm."

And it happened again following the Hanukkah Eve wind storm, which left some million people in western Washington without power.

Within 24 hours after the storm hit, the hyperbaric chamber at Virginia Mason Medical Center was full of patients. The staff treated a total of 70 patients with carbon monoxide poisoning in the first week.

Carbon Monoxide poisoning makes you feel like you've got the flu with nausea, headache and fatigue.

"As the toxicity worsens, you might have problems with concentration, memory problems and eventually you just get sleepy, fall asleep and lose consciousness," Kirtland said.

Emergency room doctors throughout King County treated more than 250 people with carbon monoxide poisoning. The majority of the cases involved people using charcoal grills indoors to keep warm and cook food.

The families were all immigrants and did not know the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning.

But it's not just a grill or a generator that you need to watch out for. Any appliance fueled with natural gas, propane, oil, kerosene, coal, charcoal or wood can produce carbon monoxide.

Remember, whatever the source of the carbon monoxide, it takes only a few hours to get sick.

That's why it's important to install carbon monoxide detectors in or near your bedrooms and even in the family room or living room near the fireplace.

Here are some tips from the Public Health Department of Seattle & King County to help prevent CO poisoning:

• Never burn charcoal inside homes, tents, campers, vans, trucks, garages, or mobile homes. Do not burn charcoal in the fireplace in your home.

• Never use gasoline powered equipment indoors. "Adequate ventilation" is required when using gasoline powered equipment. It can be difficult to determine how much ventilation is "adequate"; therefore, always use this kind of equipment outdoors!

• Never use a gas oven to heat your home, even for a short time.

• Never idle a car in a garage, even when the garage door is open.

• Never sleep in a room while using an unvented gas or kerosene heater.

• Make sure that chimneys and flues are in good condition and are not blocked.

• Have oil and gas appliances and fireplaces as well as wood stoves checked every year by a trained professional.

• Carbon monoxide warning devices may provide additional protection, but should not replace the other prevention steps.

It's also a good idea to have a carbon monoxide detector in your home. They can be found at most hardware stores.

If you have a neighbor or know someone who does not speak English, please direct them to this Web site or print the information for them.

For More Information:

Prevent poisoning from carbon monoxide - in 14 different languages

Carbon monoxide poisoning prevention facts in English

The Centers for Disease Control's fact sheet on carbon monoxide