DALLAS — Powerful winds and heavy rain Tuesday caused many North Texas residents to lose power.
As some families enter day two without light, heat, or air conditioning, they also have to worry about the food stored in the refrigerator or freezer.
A temporary fix to keep food cold or frozen is dry ice. Buying a box of dry ice to place inside the freezer or a large cooler can help keep food from spoiling, according to the US Food and Drug Administration.
Fifty pounds of dry ice should hold an 18-cubic-foot freezer for two days, possibly more. Take care when handling dry ice; don't handle it with bare hands or place it directly on foods. The FDA suggests placing a piece of cardboard to separate the dry ice from the food.
Keep in mind that you should only use dry ice in rooms with proper ventilation, as carbon dioxide gas may accumulate if there is insufficient airflow.
The FDA also recommends keeping bottles of water in your freezer. Not only will this help keep frozen food cold longer, it will offer a clean water drinking solution if your normal water supply is contaminated.
Also, the number of times you open your freezer or cooler matters. Every time the door is opened it allows the cold air to escape.
Oncor has restored power to nearly 400,000 customers, as of Wednesday afternoon. Around 260,000 customers remain without power. The storm caused significant damage to the Oncor system and led to 650,000 outages across North Texas.
More information on food safety during power outages, storms, and natural disasters is available on the USDA's website.
