Testing Food Safety After a Hurricane Evacuation

You know what to do to stay safe during a storm, but do you know how to do the same after the storm?

This October will mark the six year anniversary of Hurricane Sandy which caused devastation to homes and businesses along the East Coast. My family, along with many others in the New York City area, prepared for the storm and waited to see what would happen. We had the usual supplies of batteries, water, canned foods, dry goods and propane for the outdoor grill if we lost power. We did lose power and it was out for two weeks.

Now those living in the Carolinas are facing flooding, strong winds, heavy rain and loss of power as Hurricane Florence moves inland through the rest of this week.

Stocking up on healthy, shelf-stable meals should be near the top of your priority list when it comes to preparing for a storm. It's also important to remember family members that need diet-specific foods due to high blood pressure, diabetes, celiac disease or other health conditions, suggests Everyday Health.

Food Safety After Hurricanes

One tip concerning food safety was passed along by a friend who owns a restaurant and didn't know when he would be able to get back to his restaurant kitchen.

If you have to evacuate your home, you have no way of knowing if you lost power while you were gone, and for how long, should it be back on when you return. How do you know what food is safe for consumption and what should be tossed when you are back home?

A simple glass of frozen water can be the answer to the question of safety of the food in your refrigerator and freezer.

Here's how:

Fill a glass with water and place in the freezer until frozen. Place a quarter on top of the ice and leave the cup in the freezer while you are gone. When you return from an evacuation, that quarter will tell you if you lost power for a significant amount of time.

Quarter is on the surface of ice: If the quarter is still sitting on the surface of the ice, it means the power to the refrigerator and freezer was not interrupted and the food inside can be considered safe to eat.

Quarter is below the surface of ice: If the quarter is slightly below the surface, the power could have been out for a short amount of time and then restored and the water froze again with the quarter below the surface.

Quarter is at the halfway mark or lower: If the quarter is considerably lower than the surface of the ice, the power had been out for some time and the food content should be thrown out.

Our thoughts are with those who live in the Carolinas and Virginia as they prepare to get through the wrath of Hurricane Florence with the heavy winds and rain that are expected.

Be safe!