If you know there is going to be a blackout and you are going to lose power or if it just happens suddenly there are some things you can do to try to keep the food in your refrigerator and freezer from spoiling. Below is a quick lists of tips. If you know of any others, please share them.
*Keep refrigerator and freezer door closed to maintain temperature. The cold should last about 4 hours if unopened
*A full freezer will keep the temperature for approximately 48 hours if the door remains closed.
*Use dry ice if you can get it to keep temperature as cold as possible for as long as possible
*Fill plastic bottles or baggies with water and place in freezer ahead of power outage. These will freeze and will help keep freezer colder for longer. You can also move some to the refrigerator to keep it cold. Not only does this make ice….but it also fills empty space. As the ice melts you can just use the water
*If it is the winter, consider packing the food in coolers or garbage bags and burying in the snow. Secure and bury deep enough to keep animals away
*When power restores, if any food smells bad..don’t take chances and throw away
Please add your tips to this post. You should also consider stocking up on some long term food storage items in case the power is out for an extended period of time.