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Food Safety News published hurricane-recovery guidance on Oct. 9, 2026, warning that flooding and prolonged power outages can make food unsafe. The advice includes discarding refrigerated and frozen food after several days without power, avoiding items exposed to floodwater, and cleaning or discarding affected utensils.
Food Safety News published hurricane-recovery guidance on Oct. 9, advising people to discard refrigerated and frozen food if power has been out for several days and to avoid food or beverages that may have contacted floodwater. The recommendations address two common hazards after storms: prolonged power outages and contaminated floodwater, which can affect food and kitchen items even when damage is not obvious.
The report says people should never taste food to judge whether it is safe. If a home’s power has been out for several days, it advises throwing away food in both the refrigerator and freezer. It refers readers to a food-safety chart for guidance on items affected by a prolonged outage; the source material does not reproduce that chart or specify its individual time and temperature criteria.
For drinking, use bottled water or other beverages that have not contacted floodwater. The report warns that screw caps do not make bottles waterproof. Discard bottled drinks that may have been exposed to floodwater, and discard food in packaging that is not waterproof if contact is possible. Examples include containers with screw caps, snap lids, pull tops or crimped caps.
Some undamaged, commercially prepared foods in all-metal cans or retort pouches may be salvageable, according to the report, if handled using the steps in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service guide for severe storms and hurricanes. The report does not provide those cleaning steps in full, so readers should consult the FSIS guide before keeping affected products.
For dishes and equipment exposed to floodwater, the guidance distinguishes between items that can be cleaned and those it says to discard. Wash metal pans, utensils and ceramic dishes thoroughly with hot, soapy water, rinse them, and then sanitize them by boiling in clean water or immersing them for 15 minutes in a solution of one tablespoon of unscented liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of drinking water. Discard wooden cutting boards, plastic utensils, baby bottle nipples and pacifiers that may have touched floodwater.
Keeping Food and Water Safe
Following this guidance can help households avoid consuming food or water exposed to conditions that may make them unsafe. The risk may not be visible: floodwater contact can affect packaging and kitchen items, while a power outage can compromise food in a refrigerator or freezer. Smell and taste are not reliable ways to establish safety, which is why the report specifically warns against tasting food to check it.
The advice also offers a practical distinction between items to discard and some that may be cleaned or saved. That matters during recovery, when families may have limited supplies and access to clean water. The recommendations do not mean every item can be safely rescued: possible floodwater exposure and the condition of packaging determine whether a product should be kept, and some household items cannot be salvaged under the report’s guidance.
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Storm Damage to Food Supplies
The report was published as hurricane recovery guidance and focuses on flooding and extended electricity loss. It does not identify a particular storm, affected community or confirmed outbreak linked to the hazards described. Rather, it sets out precautions for people assessing household food and kitchen items after these conditions.
For questions, the report directs readers to the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-674-6854, available Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time in English or Spanish. It also lists email and live chat options through Ask USDA. The report recommends consulting the FSIS consumer guide for severe storms and hurricanes when deciding whether particular canned or pouch-packed products can be kept.
“Never taste a food to determine its safety.”
— Food Safety News
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Assessing Individual Food Items
The source material does not specify the length of a power outage that makes each refrigerated or frozen item unsafe, nor does it reproduce the referenced discard chart. It says to discard refrigerator and freezer food when power has been out for several days, but readers may need item-specific guidance from the cited FSIS material.
Whether a food or utensil contacted floodwater may also be uncertain after a storm. The report advises discarding food in non-waterproof packaging if there is any chance of contact, but it does not provide a way to verify exposure when floodwater has receded. No storm-specific damage assessment or local water advisory is included in the source.
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Use USDA Guidance for Decisions
Households assessing food after a hurricane can follow the report’s discard and sanitation advice, then consult the FSIS consumer guide for severe storms and hurricanes for details on commercially prepared canned and pouch-packed food. People without bottled water are directed to learn how to boil or disinfect water safely; the source does not give those procedures in its article.
For individual food-safety questions, readers can contact the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline during its listed weekday hours, email the hotline or use Ask USDA live chat. Local conditions and further official guidance may affect what is safe, and the report does not identify a specific storm response or additional updates.
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Key Questions
Should I keep food from a refrigerator after several days without power?
Food Safety News advises throwing away food in the refrigerator and freezer if power has been out for several days. It points readers to an FSIS chart for more specific guidance but does not reproduce the chart in the source material.
Can I drink bottled water that may have touched floodwater?
The report says to discard bottled water and other beverages that may have contacted floodwater. Screw caps are not waterproof, so that type of closure does not protect a drink from contamination.
Which dishes and utensils can be cleaned after floodwater exposure?
The report says to wash metal pans, utensils and ceramic dishes with hot, soapy water, rinse them, then sanitize by boiling in clean water or immersing them for 15 minutes in a solution of one tablespoon of unscented liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of drinking water.
Which food-contact items should be thrown away?
Discard wooden cutting boards, plastic utensils, baby bottle nipples and pacifiers that may have contacted floodwater, according to the report.
Where can I get more food-safety advice?
The report lists the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-674-6854, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time, in English or Spanish. It also lists MPHotline@usda.gov and Ask USDA live chat.
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