Tag: #preparedness
Prepare Kansas starts Sept. 1
We’ve had drought, wildfires, a spring blizzard and flooding in Kansas this year and it’s only August. If your home or office was affected by a disaster, would you have an accurate record of what you lost? Would you easily know who to report it to and how to reach them?
Prepare Kansas 2017, an online challenge to all Kansans and others available through the K-State Research and Extension Facebook page, will provide tips to guide you through steps to be more prepared to handle emergencies. We will also share information, links, and resources here. That can make recovery smoother and faster.
Prepare Kansas will run through September to coincide with National Preparedness Month, coordinated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Prepare Kansas this year will help you take steps to be more financially prepared to weather any challenges, plus it’s a good way to stay organized.
- Week 1: You don’t know where to get back to if you don’t know where you started, right? This week’s challenge takes you step by step through preparing a household inventory.
- Week 2: Things change. Circumstances change. Know the right questions to ask as you review homeowner’s or renter’s insurance, plus auto insurance coverage.
- Week 3: If you had a few precious minutes to leave your home or office, what would you take? Learn the basics about what to include in a grab-and-go kit to help get you back on firm financial footing more quickly.
- Week 4: Communication is key. This week’s challenge is to develop and practice a family communication plan.
The 2017 Prepare Kansas Challenge on Facebook runs during September, but K-State Research and Extension provides emergency preparedness information on many topics throughout the year here on the Prepare Kansas blog.
2016 #PrepareKS challenge concludes but every day is good day to prepare
Starting Sept. 1, Prepare Kansas 2016 provided tips on keeping food safe in emergency situations. This year’s program was conducted through the K-State Research and Extension Facebook page and here on the blog. Also, each week Jamie Vineyard Rathbun was live on Facebook talking about the weekly challenges.
Here’s a re-cap of the weekly themes and challenges.
Week 1: What can you do ahead of a power outage? This week we focused on activities that all of us can do before the power goes out. We challenged folks to put a thermometer in each of their refrigerators and freezers. We asked folks to post of picture on the K-State Research and Extension Facebook page
Week 2: What you can you do when the power goes out? The week we focused on making sure folks know that when the power goes out it is important to keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible. We also talked about how to keep food safe. We challenged folks to find out where they can obtain block or dry ice in their communities. We asked folks to share what they learned via social media.
Week 3: What can you do after a power outage? This week we focused on how to decide if food is safe to keep or not after an extended power outage. Never taste food to determine if it is safe or not! We challenged folks go through their refrigerators and freezers and throw items out that have been there longer than the recommended storage time. After doing that,we challenged folks to clean the inside of their refrigerators. We asked folks to share one thing they learn about keeping food safe when the power goes out.
Week 4: What can you do after a flood? This week we focused on how to handle food that has come into contact with flood water. We also talked about the importance of handwashing after coming into contact with flood water. We challenged folks to make sure they were not storing any food, cooking utensils, or pans directly on the floor. We asked folks to take a picture of a cooking utensil or pan and say whether or not it would be safe to keep after coming into contact with flood water.
The 2016 challenge is complete but we post to blog year-round. Look for information about the 2017 #PrepareKS challenge beginning late July.
Oh no, the power is out — how to keep food safe
September is National Preparedness Month. It is also our annual Prepare Kansas online challenge. Prepare Kansas 2016 will provide tips on keeping food safe in emergency situations. This year’s program will be conducted through the K-State Research and Extension Facebook page. No registration is required, so Kansans and anyone interested in planning ahead for emergencies can follow on Facebook and this blog at any time during September, pick up handy information and interact with K-State extension specialists and agents. Today’s post is written by Londa Nwadike, State Extension Consumer Food Safety Specialist for Kansas and Missouri.
If you are in the middle of a power outage, some key steps should be taken to ensure that your perishable food (food that requires refrigeration or freezing for safety) stays safe for as long as possible. It is very important to keep your refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible so that the cold air inside will not escape. If the refrigerator doors are kept closed, the food inside could remain at a safe temperature for up to 4 hours. If the freezer doors are kept closed, a full freezer could remain at a safe temperature for up to 48 hours (24 hours if the freezer is half full, as the frozen items in the freezer can help to keep the other items cold as well).
If the power is off for more than 4 hours, the most perishable items in the fridge should be moved to a cooler with ice to keep them at a safe temperature. If you don’t have enough space in your cooler, you don’t need to include foods that don’t actually require refrigeration such as fresh whole fruits and vegetables, hard and processed cheeses, fresh herbs and spices, and nuts. (A more detailed list of foods that don’t actually require refrigeration for safety is available from this USDA publication). It is also important to include a thermometer in the cooler to be sure the food is staying below 40F for safety. If perishable foods get too much warmer than 40F, microorganisms that can make you sick can grow more rapidly. If you see that the temperature of the cooler is getting above 40F, add more ice/ frozen ice packs and if needed, drain off some of the water in the cooler.
If the power has been off for close to 24 hours, or if you have been told that the power will be off for more than 24 hours, you will need to use dry ice or block ice to keep the foods in the freezer cold enough for safety. You will need to find a source of either dry ice or blocks of ice that you can safely use in your freezer. Dry ice may be sold by some larger grocery stores, or check the telephone book yellow pages (online or in print), with your power company, or with a local dairy or cold-storage warehouse to obtain dry ice. It is important to be sure that the dry ice or block ice and any containers used to hold are intended for contact with food so that the ice itself does not contaminate your food. For a full 18 cubic foot freezer, 50 pounds of dry ice should keep food frozen for 2 additional days.
