Trenton, NJ – The Christie Administration and Health Commissioner Mary O’Dowd urge all residents to throw away any food that may have come in contact with flood or storm waters and individuals that have suffered power outages should keeptheir refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature.
Commissioner O’Dowd urged all residents to dispose of any perishable food that may have been above 40 degrees for two hours or more. Food will stay cold in the refrigerator for about four hours if it is unopened. A full freezer will keep the temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) if the door remains closed. However, food above 40 degrees for 2 hours or more must be discarded.
“Perishable food such as meat, poultry, seafood, milk, and eggs that are not kept adequately refrigerated or frozenmay cause illness if consumed, even when they are thoroughly cooked,” said Health Commissioner Mary E. O’Dowd.
Thawed food that contains ice crystals or is 40 degrees or below can be refrozen or cooked. If you plan to eat refrigerated or frozen meat, poultry, fish or eggs while it is still at safe temperatures, it’s important that each item is thoroughly cooked to the proper temperature to assure that any foodborne bacteria that may be present is destroyed.
Below are some additional food safety tips to prevent illness during power outages, flooding and hurricane conditions:
Add block ice or dry ice to your refrigerator if the electricity is expected to be off for more than four hours. Fifty pounds of dry ice should keep an 18-cubic foot fully-stocked freezer cold for two days.
Discard any food that is not in a waterproof container if there is any chance that it has come into contact with flood water. Food containers that are not waterproof include those with screw-off caps, snap lids and pull tops.
Discard cardboard juice/milk/baby formula boxes and home canned foods if they have come in contact with flood water, because they cannot be effectively cleaned and sanitized.
Inspect canned foods and discard any food in damaged cans. Can damage is shown by swelling, leakage, punctures, holes, fractures, extensive deep rusting, or crushing/denting severe enough to prevent normal stacking or opening with a manual, wheel-type can opener.
Check to ensure that the freezer temperature is at or below 0 °F and the refrigerator is at or below 40 degrees
Wash fruits and vegetables with water from a safe source before eating.
For infants, if using formula, try to use prepared, canned baby formula that requires no added water. When using concentrated or powdered formulas, prepare with bottled water if the local water source is potentially contaminated.
During power outages, the appliance thermometers will indicate the temperatures in the refrigerator and freezer to help you determine if the food is safe.
Once Power is Restored . . .
You’ll need to determine the safety of your food. Here’s how:
If an appliance thermometer was kept in the freezer, check the temperature when the power comes back on. If the freezer thermometer reads 40 degrees or below, the food is safe and may be refrozen.
If a thermometer has not been kept in the freezer, check each package of food to determine its safety. You can’t rely on appearance or odor. If the food still contains ice crystals or is 40 degrees or below, it is safe to refreeze or cook.
Refrigerated food should be safe as long as the power was out for no more than 4 hours and the refrigerator door was kept shut. Discard any perishable food (such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs or leftovers) that has been above 40°F for two hours or more.
Trenton, NJ – New Jersey Education Commissioner Chris Cerf released the following statement today, encouraging closure of schools to ensure student safety in anticipation of Hurricane Sandy:
“In light of the worsening conditions due to Hurricane Sandy, I am strongly encouraging all superintendents and charter schools across the state to cancel school tomorrow. While we respect that these decisions need to be made at the local level, all indications are that the worst of the storm will be hitting New Jersey this evening and tomorrow, and it is of the utmost importance that we consider the safety of our students, school staff and district personnel at this time. Again, the decision remains a local one, but I cannot be any clearer: the effects of the storm are only going to get worse and it is in everyone’s best interest for districts and charters to cancel school tomorrow.”
Trenton, NJ –Governor Chris Christie today authorized the closure of all State Offices for Tuesday, October 30, 2012 as a result of the dangerous and deteriorating weather conditions across the state associated with the impact of Hurricane Sandy.
Non-essential employees should not report for their normal day shift tomorrow. Essential employees should report to work on schedule. All notifications are currently being made and coordinated by the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management in an expeditious manner.
The New Jersey Office of Emergency Management in coordination with the New Jersey Department of Transportation and the Board of Public Utilities as well as various State agencies will continue to monitor the storm and continue statewide cleanup efforts until the event concludes. New Jerseyans are encouraged to comply with orders and guidance from their local emergency management and government officials in preparing for the storm and to avoid any unnecessary risks when the storm makes landfall.
Drivers are advised to stay off of the roads whenever possible and otherwise drive with caution, follow the rules of the road, stay alert and respect the weather elements and the guidance and orders of emergency management and government officials. Unnecessary travel is not recommended.
Motorists are encouraged to check for current road conditions and closures at the New Jersey Department of Transportation website: www.NJ511.info.
For more storm preparedness information please log on to: www.ready.nj.gov
The Borough of Highlands issued a “Catostrophic” storm warning urging all residents to leave down because of coming storm surge waves and winds over 85 mph.
“Failure to following these instructions puts your life in danger”
Trenton, NJ – New Jersey residents can help their neighbors recover from storm damage Hurricane Sandy may cause by volunteering in their communities. Depending on the severity of the approaching storm, volunteers may be needed to help with a variety of clean-up activities.
“During Hurricane Irene, I saw firsthand how individual New Jerseyans worked selflessly to help others during a crisis,” said Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno. “Based on what we learned, we established this volunteer emergency response hotline to enhance our responsiveness during emergencies and better organize volunteers. Today we’re activating the hotline so that our state is prepared to direct volunteers where help may be needed.”
If you are interested in volunteering, call the state’s volunteer emergency response hotline at 1-800-JERSEY-7 (1-800-537-7397). This hotline was established earlier this year to enhance the state’s emergency responsiveness by harnessing New Jerseyans’ strong spirit of service.
If storm conditions preclude the hotline from being answered by live operators, volunteers may call one of two backup hotline numbers: 609-775-5236 or 908-303-0471. Volunteers may also send an email to [email protected].
If you are already a trained volunteer affiliated with an emergency response organization, please contact that agency to register your readiness to receive an assignment.
This hotline is managed by the New Jersey Business Action Center and the Governor’s Office of Volunteerism. Both divisions are within the New Jersey Department of State.
Calls placed to the hotline will be received by the Business Action Center, which will work with the Office of Volunteerism and NJ AmeriCorps to match and direct volunteers where help is needed. When live operators are not available, callers can leave a voicemail message that includes their place of residence, availability and skills.
Those who need help from volunteers and other services may call 211 or go online at www.nj211.org.
