It’s winter storm season! A storm can cause damage to your home, and loss of electricity, gas, and water. During a power outage, there may be a lot more on your mind than food safety, but it’s still important!

Be prepared

• Having appliance thermometers already running will help you closely monitor the status of your fridge and freezer.
• It’s also a good idea to have a cooler or two at the ready, as well as ice or frozen gel packs to maintain a safe temperature in the cooler. 
• Research where dry ice or block ice are available near you.

Things to remember

• The refrigerator will hold a safe temperature for about four hours.
• Your freezer, if packed full, will hold food at a safe temperature for about 48 hours with no power — at half full, the time decreases to 24 hours.
• Food is safe to refreeze if it still has ice crystals or if the freezer did not rise above 40 °F. You can improve the chances that food will remain safe by keeping the doors closed.

Check out and share these food safety tips to help households stay safe during this winter storm season.