Severe weather or disasters such as a terrorist incident could affect the safety of your food. Keep in mind simple but important food safety precautions during or after severe weather incidents, disasters or power outages.

Thunderstorms, windstorms, floods, ice and snowstorms and tornadoes are among the severe weather conditions that might cause a power shortage. Basic food safety precautions are important to keep in mind during or after power outages whether they come from severe weather or a non-weather disaster. Residents should pay attention to the drinkability of tap water and the safety of canned foods. Residents should also check foods that  were sitting near a window or doorway, and foods in refrigerators or freezers.

If an area or region has sustained damage from tornadoes or any other disruptive incident, it is important to drink only approved or chlorinated water. Consider water from wells, cisterns and other delivery systems in the area unsafe until tested. Also check foods and discard any items containing particles of glass or slivers of other debris or cans with broken seams.

If your refrigerator loses power, open refrigerator doors only when absolutely necessary in order to keep the cold inside. A full, freestanding freezer will stay at freezing temperatures about two days.  A half freezer will stay freezing about one day. If your freezer is not full, group packages together so they form an "igloo" protecting each other. And if power may be out several days, use dry ice. Twenty-five pounds of dry ice should keep a 10-cubic foot full freezer frozen for three to four days.

Refrigerated foods will generally be safe as long as the power is not out more than a few hours and the doors are left closed. Potentially hazardous foods (meats, fish, poultry, all dairy products, eggs and egg products, soft cheeses, custards, puddings, and cooked beans, rice, potatoes, pasta, and potato/pasta/macaroni salads, etc.) should be discarded if they are thawed and kept at temperatures warmer than 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Always discard anything that turns moldy or has an unusual odor or look. Remember: "when in doubt, throw out."

Additional food safety tips can be obtained by contacting your local Michigan State University Extension office, visiting www.michigan.gov/mda, www.fightbac.org or www.foodsafety.gov, or by calling toll-free the U.S. Department of Agriculture Meat and Poultry Hotline at 800/535-4555 or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Food Information Line at 888/SAFE-FOOD.