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Preparing Your Refrigerator and Freezer

During a hurricane emergency, leave the refrigerator and freezer plugged in. 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- this maintains food-preserving temperatures for as long as possible.

Use dry ice in the freezer if it is available. Do not contact the dry ice with bare skin; use paper or gloves in handling the dry ice to avoid a severe burn. 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.

 

If the 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 if 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 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. This will prevent it from thawing.
• If the food is stored in the freezer at home, turn the temperature control on the freezer to the coldest setting once it is operating again. Then, follow the guidelines below.
  1. Clean the freezer before refilling it.
  2. Place the warmer packages against the refrigerated surface if possible, but stack them so air can circulate around them.
  3. After the food is well frozen, turn the temperature control to its usual setting.
  4. If the freezer is too full, move some of the colder packages to the refrigerator, and return them to the freezer gradually.