The recent storms and heavy rains caused considerable damage to trees and houses in parts of the county. The rush of excess water to lower places caused some washouts and flooding. Downed power lines caused extended periods of electrical outages, too, which may raise concerns about keeping refrigerated and frozen foods cold.
Purdue Extension has some resources that may help you in these situations. You may call or stop by our office to pick up a printed copy of First Steps to Flood Recovery and USDA’s A Consumer’s Guide to Food Safety.
The First Steps publication outlines what needs to be done before, during and after a flooding disaster. It describes four steps to disaster recovery and provides resources for helping your family and pets or livestock, recovering buildings, and dealing with damaged food, furniture and appliances. It also details hints for filing a claim with your insurance company.
The Food Safety guide provides things that can be done before and after a power outage to keep food safe. The guide also helps with decision-making for keeping or discarding food that has been exposed to flood waters or has not been refrigerated or has thawed (frozen foods) for extended periods.
Both publications describe what needs to be done to assure that your drinking water supplies are safe.
For more resources, visit the Purdue Extension Disaster Education Network website at http://extension.purdue.edu/eden/. For food safety issues visit USDA’s website www.fsis.usda.gov and click on the “Food Safety Education” link under “Topics” or visit www.foodsafety.gov or the Indiana State Department of Health website: http://www.in.gov/isdh/23580.htm.