Power restored to Greater Morristown; safety tips for frozen foods

Tree on house after severe storm hit Greater Morristown. Photo by Pamela Babcock
Tree on house after severe storm hit Greater Morristown. Photo by Pamela Babcock
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Tree on house after severe storm hit Greater Morristown. Photo by Pamela Babcock
Tree on house after severe storm hit Greater Morristown. Photo by Pamela Babcock

Electricity is fully restored to Greater Morristown, a spokeswoman for Jersey Central Power & Light said on Sunday evening.

Saturday afternoon’s storm initially knocked more than 20,000 customers offline.

Morristown, Morris Township and Morris Plains were the hardest hit towns in our area.

If you lost power, is it safe to eat foods that were in your refrigerator?

Morris Township’s health department offers these tips:

Food Safety after a Power Outage

If the power is out for less than four hours, then the food in your refrigerator and freezer will be safe to consume. While the power is out, keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to keep food cold for longer.

If the power is out for longer than four hours, follow the guidelines below:

  • For the Freezer section: A freezer that is half full will hold food safely for up to 24 hours. A full freezer will hold food safely for 48 hours. Do not open the freezer door if you can avoid it.
  • For the Refrigerated section: Pack milk, other dairy products, meat, fish, eggs, gravy, and spoilable leftovers into a cooler surrounded by ice. Inexpensive Styrofoam coolers are fine for this purpose.
  • Use a food thermometer to check the temperature of your food right before you cook or eat it. Throw away any food that has a temperature of more than 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Obtain dry or block ice to keep your refrigerator as cold as possible if the power is going to be out for a prolonged period of time. Fifty pounds of dry ice should hold an 18-cubic foot full freezer for two days

Common Questions

Q. Some of my food in the freezer started to thaw or had thawed when the power came back on. Is the food safe? How long will the food in the refrigerator be safe with the power off?

A. Never taste food to determine its safety! You will have to evaluate each item separately. If an appliance thermometer was kept in the freezer, read the temperature when the power comes back on.

If the appliance thermometer stored in the freezer reads 40 °F 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 the safety.

Remember you can’t rely on appearance or odor. If the food still contains ice crystals or is 40 °F or below, it is safe to refreeze. Refrigerated food should be safe as long as power is out no more than four hours. Keep the door closed as much as possible.

Q. May I refreeze the food in the freezer if it thawed or partially thawed?

A. Yes, the food may be safely refrozen if the food still contains ice crystals or is at 40 °F or below. You will have to evaluate each item separately. Be sure to discard any items in either the freezer or the refrigerator that have come into contact with raw meat juices. Partial thawing and refreezing may reduce the quality of some food, but the food will remain safe to eat.

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