Important Storm-Related and Other Emergency Information for Food Service Establishments

Due to the impending storm, it is highly likely that your facility may lose power, water, become flooded or sustain some other type of storm damage for an extended period of time. You should be making last-minute preparations now to secure your facility. Please conduct the following preventative measures to minimize food loss and prevent illness.

  • Stock up on ice and/or dry ice for refrigeration.
  • Ensure you have sufficient supplies of food grade, unscented bleach or quaternary ammonia (Quat) and test strips for sanitizing any food contact surface (50-100 ppm Chlorine and follow the label for quat).
  • Calibrate all food thermometers and check all refrigeration thermometers to ensure they are working and accurate.
  • Turn all refrigeration and freezers to their coldest settings and make sure all refrigerator/freezer doors close and seal well. Once the power is lost, keep these units closed as a refrigerator can sustain food temperatures at less than 41F for about 4 hours without power and freezers 24-48 hours without power. Food <41F is considered safe. Any food over 41F should be thrown away.
  • Make sure all food and food contact items are elevated off the floor and eliminate as much storage in the basement as possible due to possible flooding.
  • If you are using a generator, make sure it is located outside of the facility in a well-ventilated area and not exhausting into any HVAC or make-up air for the building.
  • If flooding or structural damage occurs in your facility, dispose of any water or debris-contaminated food that is not in a watertight container (canned goods or vacuum-sealed bags).
  • If you are on a well and do not have a generator, you must close until power can be restored. It may be necessary to have the well chlorinated and tested prior to reopening. Click here for a well-testing procedure and a list of certified laboratories.
  • Keep staff aware of the restaurant’s status to prevent unnecessary travel.

If you lose power, water, have flooding, storm damage or need any other assistance, please contact LLHD at 860-448-4882. We may be calling and/or possibly conducting site visits to check on your status once the storm has passed.

Helpful Resources

Power Outages 

Public Health Emergencies

Water Emergencies (Contaminated Water)