Prepare Kansas: Keep Food Safe during a Disaster

Nora Rhoades- Family and Youth Development Agent

Facebook will play a key role in Prepare Kansas 2016, K-State Research and Extension’s effort to prepare Kansans for emergencies.

Ice storms, tornadoes, and flooding, oh my! Kansas has them all and more. Do you really know how long food will stay safe in the refrigerator if your power is out? Or what foods and supplies you should have on hand in case of emergencies?

Starting September 1, Prepare Kansas 2016 will provide tips on keeping food safe in emergency situations. This year’s program will be conducted through the K-State Research and Extension Facebook page. No registration is required, so Kansans and anyone interested in planning ahead for emergencies can follow on Facebook at any time during September, pick up handy information and interact with K-State extension specialists and agents. 

Throughout 2015, a total of 126 tornadoes alone occurred across the state, which made it the fourth highest year for tornadoes since 1950, according to the Kansas Department of Emergency Management.

“Kansas has its share of disasters, whether it’s a homeowner’s basement flooding or a fire affecting a whole block in a community. We’re committed to working with people across the state to help them be prepared for anything that comes their way,” said Kansas State University associate professor Elizabeth Kiss. “We can’t always keep disasters from happening, but we know that being as prepared as possible, whether it’s making an emergency kit or having copies of your financial and personal information in a separate, safe place, aids in the recovery from disasters.”

K-State Research and Extension has a Prepare Kansas blog, which provides tips and resources on a range of emergency preparedness topics, including this September’s focus on food safety.

“It is very important to keep food safety in mind before, during and after emergencies such as power outages and floods, to help to reduce the likelihood of people getting sick from eating contaminated food. That would make a challenging situation even worse,” said Londa Nwadike, consumer food safety specialist with K-State Research and Extension. “Some of the food safety practices that are important in emergency situations are good practices to help prevent people from getting sick at any time.” 

More information on Prepare Kansas will be available in September at https://www.facebook.com/KStateRE and any time at https://blogs.k-state.edu/preparekansas/.

For a local connection to emergency preparedness and food safety resources contact a Post Rock District Family and Consumer Science Agent. The Post Rock District of K-State Research and Extension serves Jewell, Lincoln, Mitchell, Osborne, and Smith Counties. Contact information for the District includes: Osborne 346-2521, Beloit 738-3597, Lincoln 524-4432, Mankato 378-3174, and Smith Center 282-6823. Like “Post Rock Extension” on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Our website is www.postrock.ksu.edu.