The U.S. Department of Agriculture is encouraging farmers, ranchers, families, and small businesses across the Southeast, southern Virginia, and potentially parts of the mid-Atlantic and New England to prepare for a rapidly intensifying winter storm expected to develop into a bomb cyclone this weekend. USDA staff in regional, state, and county offices are ready to assist communities before, during, and after the storm.
USDA’s Disaster Resource Center and Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool offer easy access to information on programs that support recovery from natural disasters. USDA also encourages residents and producers to contact their local USDA Service Center to determine which programs may meet their needs.
Food safety guidance:
Strong winds and heavy snow may lead to scattered power outages. USDA recommends the following steps to keep food safe:
- A refrigerator will keep food below 40°F for up to 4 hours during an outage. A full freezer stays cold about 48 hours (24 hours if half full). Keep doors closed as much as possible.
- Do not place perishable food out in the snow. Outside temperatures can vary and food can be exposed to unsanitary conditions and animals.
- Freeze containers of water ahead of the storm or make ice in containers left outside to freeze; place them around food to help maintain cold temperatures.
- Freeze refrigerated items you may not need immediately—such as leftovers, milk, and fresh meat or poultry—to extend their safe storage time.
- Consider purchasing 50 pounds of dry or block ice if a long outage is expected; this can keep an 18-cubic-foot freezer cold for two days.
- Group foods together in the freezer to help them stay cold longer.
- Keep several days’ worth of ready-to-eat foods that do not require cooking or cooling.
Source : usda.gov