Emergency Food for Thought

One of the most important aspects of any emergency plan is making sure your family will have enough food to weather the storm. Whether there’s a power outage, a hurricane, a flood, or an other disaster, you need to plan to feed your family. Luckily, there are preparations you can make in advance, as well as action you can take during an emergency.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture offers tips for handling an emergency that may affect the food supply:

• In the event of a power outage, keep your refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible. Food will remain safely cold in a refrigerator for about four hours, in a full freezer for about 48 hours, or in a half-full freezer for about 24 hours.
• Keep appliance thermometers in your refrigerator and freezer so you can determine if food has remained at a safe temperature: 40°F in the refrigerator or 0°F in the freezer.
• Purchase dry or block ice to keep your refrigerator and freezer cold if you expect the power to be out for longer than four hours. Know ahead of time where to purchase the ice, and always use thick gloves when handling it.
• Keep a supply of dry and canned goods that do not require refrigeration and may be eaten cold. Don’t forget dry pet food if you have a pet.
• Stock up on plenty of bottled water and, if you have infants, ready-to-use baby formula.
• If you live in an area prone to flooding, keep your dry and canned goods on high shelves to avoid flood water contamination. If food comes in contact with flood water or has been near a fire, throw it away immediately.
• After a weather emergency like a flood, listen to public announcements to ensure that the water in your area is safe to drink. If it’s not safe, use bottled water and follow instructions for the best ways to treat or disinfect tap water.
• Most food–especially meat, poultry, fish, and eggs–should be discarded if kept above 40°F for two or more hours.

For more information, check out the USDA emergency preparedness fact sheet.