Food safety

Before you cook, it’s important to assess the safety of your food. Toss out any food that may have come in contact with floodwaters. When in doubt, throw it out. Here are food safety best practices for some of the most common household items:

• Frozen meat: If the food is still partially frozen, you can refreeze it. If it’s thawed and held at room temperature for less than 2 hours, cook and serve, or cook and refreeze. Otherwise, discard.   
• Refrigerated foods: Food kept in an unopened refrigerator for 24 hours should still be cold and remain safe.
• Milk: Discard if unrefrigerated for more than 2 hours.
• Fresh eggs: Safe unrefrigerated for 5 to 7 days only. Discard if shells are cracked or odor or discoloration is present.
• Hard-boiled eggs: Discard if held at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

You can find more food safety tips at foodsafety.gov

Water safety

The possibility of a tainted water supply can occur after a hurricane or natural disaster. The danger of tainted public supplies comes from bacterial contamination, which can lead to serious health problems. Which is why it’s important to note these water safety tips to help keep you and your family safe post-storm.

• Pay attention to local authorities about the status of your water supply.
• Use only bottled or disinfected water for drinking and cooking until the public water supplies have been declared safe.
• Boil-water orders are often issued after a hurricane. That's usually because the public water utility has lost pressure in its water-moving systems, making it possible for contaminants to enter water lines.
• Water that you saved in bottles before the storm should be good for up to 6 months, if properly stored.
• To prevent the spread of disease, wash your hands frequently with disinfected water and soap.

It can be difficult to weather any natural disaster. Once you are able to create a sense of routine again, it’s a good idea to re-evaluate your hurricane evacuation plan and restock any hurricane supplies as necessary.