By Diane Wright Hirsch, UConn Extension Emerita Food Safety Educator

Power outages from wind and rain storms, ice and snow storms will make life interesting. It can take days or even weeks to get the power restored after an outage. Plan and prepare before a storm hits.

When a Storm is Coming: Prepare

Start by making sure you have or buy a refrigerator/freezer thermometer. This can be found in the housewares department in your supermarket or your local hardware store. During an outage, the only way to know if food has reached an unsafe temperature (above 40°F) is by keeping track of the temperature of your refrigerator.

• If early weather warnings predict possible power failures, set the refrigerator, its freezer and any freestanding freezer to the coldest setting.

• Keep your freezer full. A full freezer will keep cold longer than a half-full freezer. Fill empty spaces with well-cleaned milk cartons or plastic containers full of water.

• Consider purchasing a gas-powered generator to keep your refrigerator running during an extended outage. Learn how to use the generator safely before the storm hits.

• Check/re-stock your emergency food and water supply; make sure supply is not out of date.

• Find out where to buy dry ice.

• Make sure you have enough water on hand for drinking (highest priority), cooking (making coffee, tea, instant cereal, etc.), pets, handwashing, cleaning, and flushing toilets (this does not have to be drinkable water).

• Have a gas or charcoal grill? Purchase enough fuel for several days.

Storing Emergency Food Supplies

Store your supply carefully; checking often, use older items and re-supply with new.

•Store canned and dry goods in a cool, dry, dark place; 40 to 60°F.

•Keep food away from gasoline, oil, paints, solvents and other household chemicals.

•Protect food from rodents and insects; use containers that are pest-proof.

•Date all food items. Use and replace food before it loses freshness.

Make a Shopping and Menu Plan

Are you preparing for possible loss of power for a few days (thunderstorms, snow storms, wind storms, tropical storms) or for a more significant period of time (ice storms, hurricanes, tornadoes)? If you live in an area where power is frequently lost for a few hours or days, plan for a 3 day outage. If you live in an area where it may take longer for a power company to respond, prepare for a longer outage. Keep in mind that nutrition becomes even more import-ant when outages last a long time…make your food choices wisely! Don’t forget the nutritional needs of pets, infants, or those on special diets.

Menu Ideas for Three Meals

Breakfast

• Use up any eggs from the refrigerator in the first day in cheese omelet*, bread and butter, juice, coffee* or tea*

• Cold cereal with bananas, reconstituted dry milk, coffee*, tea*, or water

• Peanut butter and jelly sandwich, canned peaches, coffee*, tea*, or reconstituted dry milk

• Bread and cheese, orange, coffee*, cocoa*, tea*, or water

Lunch/Dinner

• Tuna, whole grain crackers, apple, water

• Canned beef-barley soup*, processed cheese, crackers, reconstituted dry milk

• Bean salad (canned beans, canned green beans, onion, garlic, oil, vinegar), bread and butter, pear, water

• Early in the outage—canned hash, fried egg*, tomato salad with oil and vinegar, water

• Canned chili, crackers, corn, water

• Tuna with white beans, olive oil, vinegar, bread, butter, canned carrots, reconstituted dry milk

Snacks: Cheese, crackers, dry cereal, granola or cereal bars, nuts, dried fruit, chocolate, apple with peanut butter.

*Requires cooking-gas stove, charcoal grill, camp stove, or wood fire (outside only!). Some foods, such as canned soups, canned pasta dishes, chili, hash, though typically heated before eating, do not REQUIRE heating for safety.