In light of the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew, where hundreds of thousands of Americans were left without power, it seems that southeastern United States is divided between those who were repaired and those who weren’t. Albeit, no matter how prepared you are, there are certain things you just can’t prevent. Like if a hurricane decides to drown every house on your block. However, there are some other aspects of a natural disaster for which you can prepare. And it pays off in a big way. For those interested in not making the same mistake twice, here are a few preparation tips, with regards specifically to food safety, for the next big storm that washes up onto Florida’s shores. (Related Topics: Florida Food Handlers Certificates, Florida Food Handlers Card, Florida Food Handler Certification)
- Your first concern should be how to preserve low temperatures in the event that you lose power. Most importantly, this refers to preserving the contents of your freezer. To maximize the lifespan of a cold freezer during a power outage is to fill it to the brim. But you probably won’t want to stack it full of food considering you’ll only have a couple of days maximum to eat it all, no matter how well you preserve its temperature. Instead, fill as many milk cartons as you can full of water. The more stacked the freezer, the longer the meat inside will last.
- Your second concern should be what to replace with your frozen food once your freezer exceeds the highest temperature it can be without damaging the food that it’s containing. A great alternative is canned food. Stock up on tuna fish and other canned goods and make sure that you have a means to open it. The last thing you need is twenty cans of tuna fish and no opener. And make sure that it’s a manual opener. Whatever electronic appliance you connected to your wall will serve no purpose in the midst of a power outage.
- Thirdly, you’re going to want to minimize your use of water. There’s no telling when you’ll have fresh water again, which means you’ll have to ration what you have as carefully as possible. Here’s one example in which you don’t have to worry about being wasteful with plastic or paper plates. Stock up on disposable everything so that you don’t have to wash it when you’re finished using it.
- If you’re going to use your grill, you should maximize its use so you don’t waste propain. See if anyone else in the neighborhood wants to join in and throw a few things on the grill. This will maximize the use value of a limited resource.
Hurricane season’s far from over. Furthermore, this seems to be growing to be an annual concern due to climate change. So the likelihood of another Florida power outage in your lifetime is quite high. Want to learn more about food safety, in all scenarios? Call Ken Kuscher at 561-703-7196for a Florida food safety and/or food handler certification.
