Local expert speaks on food, water safety ahead of storm

McALLEN, Texas ( ValleyCentral ) — South Texas Health System is informing the public on food and water safety in anticipation of possible power outages from the potential storm.

Many goods like medicine and meat are perishable and can put families at risk if they lose refrigeration.

Doctor Michael Menowsky with STHS says the refrigerator door should remain closed at all times.

“If your refrigerator is working, stock up on a couple of bags of ice, put it in a cooler and keep your refrigerator closed,” Menowsky said. “The more you open them and close them refrigerator will typically keep your food items cold for about a day.”

Menowsky says even with food in the fridge, never taste it to determine its safety. He recommends tossing any spoil-prone foods like meat and dairy that have been left out for too long.

“If you’re leaving your foods out for more than a couple of hours and the temperatures are South Texas temperatures, then you’re probably going to want to dispose of those,” he said.

He adds to avoid drinking any water contaminated by the storm.

“The water sanitation, with all the winds and rain that are going to come into our filtration systems down here, it’s going to be recommended that you boil your water until the city clears it,” he said.

Menowsky encourages people to stock up on bottled water.

“The other big thing is making sure that you have plenty of bundled water on hand and adult drinks about a gallon of water a day so if you have multiple members in your household, then you should plan accordingly.”

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