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Food and water safety
 
Sunday, May 27, 2007 - 11:21 AM Updated: 10:35 PM
 
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Food and water safety:
  • If power goes out, avoid opening refrigerators and freezers to keep items from spoiling and/or thawing.
  • If the power goes out, food in a refrigerator is only safe to consume for a few hours.
  • If the temperature inside exceeds 40 degrees F for more than two hours, perishable foods are unsafe to eat. (Get a small thermometer to keep inside your refrigerator.)
  • If there are any ice crystals on freezer items, the food can safely be refrozen.
  • If you’re unsure whether an item has spoiled, throw it away.
  • Do not drink tap water until officials have announced it is safe to do so.
  • Commercially bottled water is good indefinitely, regardless of the expiration date.
  • Water you’ve bottled yourself will only be good for about a week at room temperature (two weeks in the refrigerator).
If a hurricane, earthquake or other emergency situation threatens our water supply, boiling is the safest way to purify it before drinking. According to the Red Cross, water must be boiled for 3-5 minutes and then cooled. If you have enough notice, fill household bathtubs with tap water before trouble strikes.

To treat water, first filter the water using a piece of cloth or coffee filter to remove solid particles. Then do one of the following to purify:
1. Boil 3 to 5 minutes and let cool, or
2. Add 12 drops of 2 percent tincture of iodine per gallon, or
3. Add 16 drops of unscented liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of water. Let stand 30 minutes, or
4. Use water purification tablets.