Wicomico County Health Department Press Release

Environmental Health Officials Offer Food Safety Tips in Preparation of Potential Power Outages and Flooding Due to Hurricane Earl

(Salisbury, MD). As Hurricane Earl begins to make way across the Eastern Seaboard, the Wicomico County Health Department is encouraging everyone to take steps now to ensure they are prepared for the possibility of severe weather. Hurricanes and tropical storms frequently bring flash flooding and power outages which oftentimes increase the risk for potential for food borne illnesses throughout the community. Environmental health officials recommend the following food safety tips for residents to help them prepare now, should local power outages or flooding occur:

Always keep meat, poultry, fish, and eggs refrigerated at or below 40 degrees F and frozen food below 0 degrees F. In preparation for power outages, turn your refrigerator and freezer down to their coldest settings before the hurricane arrives and power goes out. This will ensure food stays colder for a longer period of time.

If the power goes out keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible. The refrigerator will keep food cold for about 4 hours if left closed. A freezer that is full will hold the temperature for approximately 48 hours if the door remains closed (24 hours if only half full). If your freezer is not full, move the items close together to help them stay cold longer. Having some coolers packed with ice can be used to help keep your food cold.

When the power comes back on, you should check the frozen food for temperature and/or ice crystals. If the food temperature is below 40 degrees F and still has ice crystals, it is safe to re-freeze. Food that has partially thawed and refrozen is safe to eat, although the taste or texture quality may have degraded. Discard all food with unsafe temperatures.

Maintain a supply of non-perishable food to keep on hand. This food should not require refrigeration or heating. Examples are canned food, or shelf stable food, bottled water, ready to drink baby formula or nutritional drinks. Make sure you also have a hand operated can opener available.

Discard all food that comes into contact with floodwater. If you live in an area likely to flood, move your food higher on the shelves to keep it out of the floodwater. Floodwater may contain fecal contamination and pathogens.

Drink only bottled, chlorinated, boiled or otherwise disinfected water. After a flooding event, consider water from wells and the community water suppliers unsafe until it has been tested for safe drinking conditions. When boiling water, bring it to a rolling boil for at least 3 minutes. You can add household chlorine bleach to your water to disinfect it. Do not use bleach with fragrances or detergents. Add 8 drops of 5.25% sodium hypochlorite (household bleach) per gallon of water and allow it to sit for 30 minutes before using it. Try to maintain a supply of bottled water, approximately one gallon per person per day.

Keep a Food Emergency Kit on hand including:
Household bleach or water purification tablets
A hand held can opener
A food thermometer
Waterless hand sanitizer and baby wipes
A small grill or Coleman stove for cooking. NEVER USE INSIDE BUILDING
A two week supply of canned goods, shelf stable foods, boxed or canned milk, and infant formula and pet food, if needed

For more information, call Wicomico County Health Department Environmental Health Division at 410-546-4446, the USDA Food Safety Hotline at 1-800-535-4555, the Maryland Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222 or the Maryland Emergency Management Agency at 410-517-3600. Information is also available on-line at www.usda.gov/fsis, www.mema.state.md.us, www.cdc.gov or www.redcross.org.