What To Do in a Blackout by Meredith Keymel

Don't let a power outage blindside you.  Prepare beforehand and safely see your way through a blackout.

SUPPLIES:

• Flashlight
• Portable radio
• Extra batteries
• At least one gallon of water
• Small supply of food (canned goods & a can opener, powdered or boxed milk, etc.)
• Cooler(s) - styrofoam works well
• Ice
• Digital quick-response thermometer (checks internal temperature of foods for doneness & safety)

SAFETY TIPS:

• Use flashlights for emergency lighting.  NEVER USE CANDLES, they are an extreme fire hazard!
• Turn off electrical equipment in use, when the power went out.
• Power outages lasting more than 2-4 hours require milk, dairy products, meats, fish, poultry, eggs, gravy, stuffing & leftovers to be packed in coolers & surrounded by ice -- perishable foods should not be held above 40 degrees for more than 2 hours.
• Avoid opening the refrigerator or freezer.
  • Unopened refrigerators will keep foods cold for at least a couple of hours.
  • Half-full freezers will keep foods cold for up to 24 hours.
  • Full freezers will keep foods cold for 48 hours.
• Run generators outside. NEVER USE IN THE HOUSE, BASEMENT OR GARAGE!
• Connect equipment you want powered, directly to the outlets on the generator.  DO NOT hook the generator up to the home's electrical system.
• Listen to local TV & radio stations for up-to-date information.

If the power is still not on when you go to bed, pack perishables in cooler if you have not already done so.  Pack in as much ice as possible.  Leave a bedroom light switched on when you go to bed, this will wake you wake up if the power comes back and then you can check the condition of foods in the freezer.  If freezer foods still have ice crystals they can be refrozen.

If the power goes out while you're out of the house & it has been more than a few hours before you get home, check the internal temperatures of perishable foods in your refrigerator with your digital thermometer.  Throw out foods with an internal temperature above 40 degrees.  Foods in the freezer below 40 degrees and still have ice crystals can be refrozen.

If the power goes out and comes back on while you're out, try to determine how long the power was out.  Fairly full freezers without power for 24 hours or less should be OK.  Some quality may be lost with refreezing, but food will be safe.  Discard perishable food items in the refrigerator if power has been out for more than 2-4 hours.

**A good point to remember: IF IN DOUBT, THROW IT OUT!