Managing your freezer during storms and outages
Southeastern NC — With tornadoes, hurricanes, and tropical storms returning to southeastern North Carolina, it’s a good time to review how to keep frozen food safe during power outages.
If a power outage or freezer malfunction occurs, food may still be safe as long as ice crystals remain. When it appears that the power will return soon or a repair technician is on the way, keeping the freezer door closed is the best way to preserve the cold.
Some households use a simple “coin‑in‑a‑cup” method to help determine whether food thawed during an outage: a small cup of water is frozen with a coin placed on top. If the coin sinks to the bottom after an outage, it can indicate the freezer warmed significantly.
A full freezer will typically keep food frozen for about two days if the door remains closed. A half‑full freezer will keep food frozen for about one day. Freezer compartments inside refrigerators warm more quickly. If the freezer is not full, grouping packages together can help them retain cold longer. It’s also wise to separate meat and poultry from other foods to prevent cross‑contamination if thawing begins.
If the power is out for an extended period, adding dry ice, block ice, or bags of ice can help maintain safe temperatures. An appliance thermometer is a valuable tool for monitoring temperature during and after an outage.
When power returns, check the condition and temperature of the food. Items that are still partly frozen, contain ice crystals, or are as cold as 40°F or below are safe to refreeze or use. Raw foods do not need to be cooked before refreezing. Foods that have been above 40°F for more than two hours should be discarded. Any items contaminated by raw meat juices should also be thrown away. Soft or melted ice cream should be discarded for quality reasons.
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