Following a disaster, there may be power outages that could last for several days. Stock canned foods, dry mixes and other staples that do not require refrigeration, cooking, water or special preparation. Be sure to include a manual can opener and eating utensils.

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First, use what you have on hand.

Managing Food without Power

• Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible.
• The refrigerator will keep food cold for about 4 hours if it is unopened.
• Refrigerated or frozen foods should be kept at 40° F or below for proper food storage.
• Use a refrigerator thermometer to check temperature.
• Discard any perishable food (such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs or leftovers) that has been above 40° F for two hours or more.
• If you have a generator, operate it outside, run a power cord to the refrigerator/freezer, and run until the inside temperature is  40° F for the refrigerator and about 20° F for the freezer .  This should take an hour or two before disconnecting the power cord and moving to lighting or a fan or shutting the generator down to conserve fuel.

Using Dry Ice:

• Know where you can get dry ice prior to a power outage.
• Twenty-five pounds of dry ice will keep a 10-cubic-foot freezer below freezing for 3-4 days.
• If you use dry ice to keep your food cold, make sure it does not come in direct contact with the food.
• Use care when handling dry ice, wear dry, heavy gloves to avoid injury.

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Suggested Emergency Food Supplies

Consider the following things when putting together your emergency food supplies:

• Store at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food.
• Choose foods your family will eat, just not because they are convenient, available, or on sale.
• Remember any special dietary needs - Gluten-free, salt limitations, diabetes, etc.
• Avoid foods that will make you thirsty - salty foods
• A properly stored (cool, dark place), unopened, undented. and not budging can of tuna will generally stay at its best quality for 3 to 5 years, although it will usually be safe after that which is well beyond the store expiration date.  Still it is best to continue to rotate your supplies using the oldest can as you cook.

The following items are suggested when selecting emergency food supplies. You may already have many of these on hand.

Ready-to-eat Canned meats/fish or foil packets (chicken, ham, beef, turkey, tuna, salmon, etc.) Canned fruit (peaches, pears, apple sauce, etc.) Canned vegetables (pork-n'-beans, string beans, beets, corn, etc.) Canned juices (apple, orange, pineapple, etc.) Non-perishable pasteurized milk Comfort/stress foods (macaroni and cheese, chips, ice cream, etc.)

Dry cereal or granola Breakfast bars, pop tarts, protein bars, and fruit bars Peanut butter (jar or peanut butter & crackers in sealed packages) Dried fruit (apricots, apples, peaches, etc.) Specialty food for infants Specialty food for seniors Super Food for Stress (kale, broccoli, leafy greens, celery, nuts, oily fish, fermented food - kimchi, herbs and spices, and organic berries

MRE's (Meals-Ready-To-Eat)

The Meals-Ready-to-Eat – commonly known as the MRE – is a self-contained, individual field ration in lightweight packaging bought by the United States military for its service members for use in combat or other field conditions where organized food facilities are not available. While MREs should be kept cool (75 degrees or less), they do not need to be refrigerated. 

The pre-cooked food is also distributed by FEMA along with water and ice about 3 - 7 days after a disaster when cooked food it not yet available.  Next, the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, and Southern Baptist will respond with their teams and begin to set up and provide hot meals.  The first two organizations will provide vehicles that go out to the homes and the Southern Baptist will set up a kitchen and feed from that location. 

Each meal provides about 1200 Calories and there is an assortment of offerings. They are intended to be eaten for a maximum of 21 days (the assumption is that fresh food rations can be provide by then).  The MRE's have a minimum shelf life of three years (depending on storage conditions) and typically five years if stored as above.   The hotter temperature that the MRE is exposed to, the shorter the shelf life.  There is also a heater pack that goes with the meal that enables chemically heating the food before eating.  If buying MRE's, be careful of avoiding ones that only have part of their shelf life left, which is a not an uncommon occurrence on E-Bay.  Check in the print on the outside of each package. 

Drink lot of water and some fruit, if available, with the MRE's to prevent constipation.

Freeze-dried foods

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Food Safety & Sanitation

Without electricity or a cold source, food stored in refrigerators and freezers can become unsafe. Bacteria in food grow rapidly at temperatures between 40 and 140 °F, and if these foods are consumed you can become very sick. Thawed food usually can be eaten if it is still “refrigerator cold.” It can be re-frozen if it still contains ice crystals. To be safe, remember, “When in doubt, throw it out.”

Alternative cooking sources can be used in times of emergency including candle warmers, chafing dishes, fondue pots or a fireplace. Charcoal grills, propane grills, and camp stoves are for outdoor use only. Commercially canned food may be eaten out of the can without warming.

To heat food in a can:

1. Remove the label.
2. Thoroughly wash and disinfect the can. (Use a diluted solution of one part bleach to ten parts water.)
3. Open the can before heating; otherwise it will explode during heating.

The second line is charcoal and the first line is propane cooking.  If you are buying a new propane grill, make sure it has a side burner and you have a pot to use with the burner.