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Agriculture + Lifestyle

Preparing for Helene

Posted on September 24, 2024 12:44 PM

 

The National Weather Service is projecting that much of Georgia will be in the path of the remnants of Hurricane Helene. Now is time to prepare for the storm. The Georgia Department of Agriculture is working with our state, federal and industry partners to promote the safety of our citizens, evacuees, livestock and companion animals. 

Here are a few emergency tips to follow:

  • Remember to follow local emergency management instructions for your area. 
  • Have a generator and extra fuel. 
  • Have extra batteries for flashlights and radios.
  • Charge cell phones. 
  • Ensure your pets and livestock are safe and make plans for feed, water, housing, transportation, destination and expenses. 
  • Store food on shelves, high off of the floor, to reduce the chance of being ruined by floodwater. 
  • Store pesticides above ground level so they will not be impacted by floods. 
  • Strategize food stores and group foods together in the freezer. Keep coolers on hand for power outages lasting longer than 4 hours. 

My power went out, is my food still safe?

Wonder how long your food will last in your refrigerator if you lose power in a storm? Make sure to keep the doors to the refrigerator or freezer closed as much as possible during a power outage to maintain the cold temperatures. Food should remain cold in the refrigerator for four hours if unopened. If you have access to dry ice, 50 pounds of dry ice should keep a fully-stocked 18-cubic-feet freezer cold for two days. 

If you do lose power remember the food in your freezer should be safe as long as the power wasn’t out for more than 48 hours. Remember when in doubt, throw it out. Also, if your home floods, all food that has come in contact with flood water needs to be thrown out. 

Where can I evacuate with pets?

Evacuating with your pets? You can find a list of pet-friendly hotels in Georgia here.

 

For more information on evacuating during a storm with livestock and other helpful tips visit the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s website