Five Tips for Food Storage and Food Safety during Hurricane Season

With hurricane season officially started, here are five tips for food safety and food storage during hurricane season!

1. If it’s looking like a particularly bad hurricane is coming through, freeze refrigerated items you don’t need immediately, and be sure to group food close together in the freezer, that way it will stay cold longer in case you lose power. A full freezer should be able to keep food cold for roughly 48 hours.

 

2. Keep a three-day supply of non-perishable food that requires no refrigeration in case you have an extended period of time without electricity.

 

3. Considering storing your non-perishable foods on higher shelves, keeping it out of the way of potential flood water.

 

4. Purchase commercial water bottles or use food grade water containers or clean plastic soda bottles to keep at least a two to three-day supply of drinking water, which equates to 1 gallon per person, per day. If you are preparing your own containers of water, add two drops of unscented, regular concentration bleach per quart to treat the water for storage.

 

5. If there’s a chance your well system has been contaminated following a hurricane or flooding, consider shock chlorinating your well. For more information on shock chlorination, please contact your local Extension office, and check out this link!