Keep Your Food and Drinking Water Safe During a Power Outage

This page is for households. If you run a food business, such as a grocery store, restaurant, or other retail food establishment, follow the Emergency Action Plans for Retail Food Establishments instead. 

Power outages caused by severe weather or other disasters can cause some challenges to keeping perishable foods and drinking water safe and wholesome. By following some simple, but important, food and water safety precautions you can help protect your family’s food and drinking water during a power outage.

When in doubt, throw it out!

When a power outage occurs, follow these important food and water safety tips:

During Power outage at your home:

• During a power outage, keep the refrigerator/freezer door closed as much as possible to maintain adequate temperature.
• During a power outage, Refrigerated foods will generally be safe as long as the power is not out for more than a few hours and the doors have remained closed.
• During a power outage,  A full, free-standing freezer will stay at freezing temperatures for about two days; a half-full freezer about one day. If the freezer isn’t full, group packages together so they stay colder longer.
• If power may be out for several days, you can use dry ice or ice blocks to maintain temperatures for a few days. Twenty-five pounds of dry ice on the top shelf of the freezer should maintain freezing temperatures in a 10-cubic foot freezer for about four days. Less dry ice is needed for a refrigerator.
• Additional suggestions for during a power outage from the Michigan State Police MiReady program.

After the power comes back on at your home:

• After a power outage, throw out anything that turns moldy or has an unusual color or odor.
• After a power outage throw out Frozen foods that thawed and reach temperatures above 40°F
• After a power outage throw out Perishable refrigerated foods (meats, poultry, fish, dairy products, eggs, etc.) that was warmer than 40°F for more than two hours.

If your home was flooded or damaged by a storm:

• If flooding has occurred, throw away any food that have touched flood waters.
• If a storm caused damage such as broken windows or fallen debris, throw away any food that may contain glass particles or slivers of debris
• If flooding or storm damage occurred, throw away food in dented cans or in cans with broken seams.

Drinking water after storm damage

• After a storm or tornado, especially if there may be damage to water mains or local infrastructure, Drink only approved or chlorinated water
• Follow any “boil water” alerts issued by health and safety personnel in your area, especially for water used for washing or cooking.