Refrigerators and Freezers
During a hurricane emergency, leave the refrigerator and freezer
plugged in and turn them up to the coldest setting as they
can maintain food-preserving temperatures for up to two days
after power has been lost. Open the refrigerator and freezer
only when necessary to maintain food preserving temperatures
for as long as possible.
Use dry ice in the freezer if it is available. After placing
the dry ice into the freezer, cover the freezer with blankets,
quilts or some other insulating covering. Be sure the covering
does not obstruct any air ventilation openings as the power
may go off unexpectedly and ventilation in the freezer will
be needed. It will also help to put crumpled newspapers between
the freezer and the covering. Avoid contacting the dry ice
with skin. Use paper of gloves in handling the dry ice to
avoid a severe burn.
If freezer stops working, the food in the freezer will stay
frozen depending on:
the amount of food in the freezer. A full freezer will stay
cold many hours longer than a freezer only one-quarter full.
the type of food in the freezer. A freezer full of meat
will not warm up as fast as a freezer full of baked food.
the temperature of the food. The colder the food, the longer
it will stay frozen. the quality of the freezer. A well-insulated freezer will
keep food frozen much longer than one with little insulation.
the size of the freezer. The larger the freezer, the longer
the food will stay frozen.
The following steps should be taken in the event the freezer
stops working:
Estimate how long the power will be off to determine how
long the food will stay frozen. With the freezer closed, the
food in a fully loaded freezer will usually stay frozen two
(2) days. If the food is in a freezer with less than half
a load, it will probably not stay frozen for more than a day.
If arrangements have been made in advance to have the food
stored in a locker plant, call the plant to see if it is operating.
If the plant is operating and it is possible to transport
the food to the plant, make sure the food is wrapped in newspaper
and blankets or placed in an insulated container before transporting
it to the plant to prevent it from thawing. If the food is stored in the freezer at home, refreeze the
food quickly by turning the temperature control on the freezer
to the coldest setting once it is operating again. Clean the
freezer before refilling it. Place the warmer packages against
the refrigerated surface if possible, but stack them so air
can circulate around them. After the food is well frozen,
turn the temperature control to its usual setting. If the
freezer is too full, move some of the colder packages to the
refrigerator, and return them to the freezer gradually.
Thawing and Refreezing:
Foods that have been frozen and thawed require the same
care as foods that have never been frozen. Use refrozen food
as soon as possible. Partial thawing and refreezing does reduce the quality of
foods, particularly fruits, vegetables and prepared foods.
Red meats are affected less than many other foods by partial
thawing and refreezing. Food that has thawed may be safely
refrozen if it still contains ice crystals or if it is still
cold - about 40 degrees Fahrenheit - and has been at this
temperature no longer than one or two days after thawing.
Thawed fruits can be refrozen if they still taste and smell
good. Fruits usually ferment when they start to spoil. A small
amount of fermentation will not make fruits dangerous to eat;
however, it may spoil their flavor. Care should be taken in determining whether or not thawed
meat and poultry should be refrozen. Meats and poultry become
unsafe to eat when they start to spoil. Therefore, each package
of food should be examined before determining whether or not
it should be refrozen. If the color or odor of the thawed
food is poor or questionable, dispose of it, as it may be
dangerous to eat. Do not use melted ice cream. If refreezing the thawed food is not possible, canning it
may be the only practical solution to saving most, if not
all, of it.
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