FLORIDA, USA — Hurricane Milton made landfall on Florida's Gulf Coast on Wednesday night as a Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph, causing more than 1.7 million people to lose electricity in the state.
Being without power means the food in your refrigerator has a short life before it is deemed unsafe to eat.
Once the power does go out, there are other things you can do to save the food.
- Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible.
- If the doors stay closed, food will stay safe for up to four hours in a refrigerator, 48 hours in a full freezer and 24 hours in a half freezer.
- If the power has been out for four hours and a cooler and ice are available, put refrigerated perishable items in the cooler.
To prevent foodborne illness, the CDC has some tips to follow.
- Keep thermometers in the refrigerator and freezer. The refrigerator should be kept at 40 degrees or below and the freezer should be kept at 0 degrees or below.
- Freeze containers of water and gel packs to help keep your food at 40 degrees or below.
- Have a cooler and frozen gel packs handy in case you have to remove food from the fridge to keep it cold.
- Buy dry ice or block ice to keep your food cold in the refrigerator if you think the power will be out for a long time.
The CDC advises that when in doubt, throw it out. That's the safest rule to follow in the wake of a power outage. You should never taste something to see if it's still good.
After four hours without power:
- Throw out perishable foods (meat, fish, cut fruits, vegetables, eggs, milk, leftovers)
- Throw out anything with an unusual odor, color or texture
- You can safely refreeze or cook thawed frozen food that still contains ice crystals or is at 40 degrees or below
- Click here for more tips
