May 10, 2011
As flood waters rise in the Southeast U.S., it's important to review life-saving food safety guidelines and learn how we can all prepare for weather emergencies and natural disasters. No matter where you live, severe weather, or some other emergency, could be right around the corner. Here are a few ways to prepare yourself and your family's food supply and be ready for any weather emergency.
7 Ways to Prepare Your Food Supply for a Weather Emergency
- Invest in an appliance thermometer so in case of power loss, you can monitor the temperature of your food.
- Set your freezer at 0 degrees F and your refrigerator at 40 degrees F or lower.
- Freeze containers of water and gel packs to keep food cold in freezers, refigerators and coolers.
- Have a supply of dry ice in case of emergency.
- If the power might be out for longer than 4 hours, plan to move food to coolers.
- Group food tightly together in the freezer to help retain the cold.
- Store foods on high shelves to keep it out of potential flood waters.
Visit USDA.gov for more food safety guidelines for disaster situations.
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