Plan To Stay Fed, Hydrated After Storm
Published: May 21, 2006
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There's so much you can't control in a hurricane's aftermath.
One thing you can control: how you'll feed yourself and quench your thirst when the power goes out.
First, you should stock up on food and water before a storm - and even before hurricane season. Then there are issues of refrigeration, cleanliness and cooking, as well as how you can achieve all three without electricity.
Here are some tips from the American Red Cross and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for better post-storm food safety:
Food And Accessories
•Shelf-stable foods, such as canned goods and powdered or boxed milk, can be eaten cold or heated on the grill.
•A digital thermometer is a necessity in your kitchen. With thermometers, you can quickly check the internal temperatures of food for doneness and safety.
•Discard food that may have come into contact with contaminated floodwater, including any food not in a waterproof container before the flooding.
•Undamaged, commercially canned foods can be saved if you remove the can labels, thoroughly wash the cans, then disinfect them with a solution consisting of one cup of bleach in five gallons of water.
•Food containers with screw caps, snap lids, crimped caps (soda pop bottles), twist caps, flip tops, snap tops, and home-canned foods should be discarded if they have come into contact with floodwater because they cannot be disinfected.
•For infants, use only pre-prepared canned baby formula.
•Do not use powdered formulas prepared with treated water.
•In addition to nonperishable food and canned goods, buy lots of paper plates, cups and plastic utensils. Antibacterial hand sanitizer will also be helpful in conserving water.
•A gas grill can be your most versatile tool. Not only can you use it to prepare food, you can also use it to boil water.
Water Safety
•Safe drinking water includes bottled, boiled or treated water.
•Do not use contaminated water to wash dishes, brush your teeth, wash and prepare food, or make ice.
•Drink only bottled, boiled or treated water until your supply is tested and found safe.
•Boiling water kills harmful bacteria and parasites. Bringing water to a boil for one minute will kill most organisms.
•Water may be treated with chlorine or iodine tablets, or by mixing six drops (1/8 teaspoon) of unscented, chlorine bleach (5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite) per gallon of water. Mix the solution thoroughly, and let stand for about 30 minutes. This treatment will not kill parasitic organisms.
•Containers for water should be rinsed with a bleach solution before reusing them. Use water storage tanks and other types of containers with caution.
Frozen And Refrigerated Foods
•Do not open the refrigerator or freezer door. An unopened refrigerator will keep food cold enough for at least a couple hours. A freezer that is half-full will hold for up to 24 hours and a full freezer for 48 hours.
•Have enough coolers to store the food you want to save.
•If it looks like the power outage will be for more than two to four hours, pack refrigerated milk, dairy products, meats, fish, poultry, eggs, gravy, stuffing and leftovers into your cooler surrounded with ice.
•If you think you will be without power for a long period, ask friends with electricity to store your frozen foods.
•Ask if freezer space is available in a store, church, school or commercial freezer that has electrical service.
•Use dry ice, if available. Twenty-five pounds of dry ice will keep a 10-cubic-foot freezer below freezing for up to four days.
•Wear dry, heavy gloves to avoid injury from dry ice.
•Your refrigerator will keep foods cool for about four hours without power if it is unopened. Add block or dry ice to your refrigerator if the electricity will be off longer than four hours.
•Thawed food can usually be eaten if it is still "refrigerator cold" or refrozen if it still contains ice crystals. When in doubt, throw it out.
•Discard any food that has been at room temperature for two hours or more and any food that has an unusual odor, color or texture.
•Perishable foods should not be held above 40 degrees Fahrenheit for more than two hours.
•If a power outage is two hours or less, you need not be concerned.
