Eating in the Time of Storms and Pandemic

There’s plenty of information about what to do to prepare for a storm. We’re here to talk about food and drink beyond stocking up on leche condensada and Beanee Weenee.

This year presents special challenges when many are relying on food delivery services during the pandemic. The CDC advises giving yourself more time to shop for food, medicine and water.

First, use common sense. Listen to official news sources. Don’t panic. Anticipate losing power, so charge all your devices. Do your laundry. Gas up the car. Then, stay off the road if possible to avoid flooded streets and poor visbility. If you have a chainsaw, get some gas for that, too.

Visit official sources for openings, closings and other emergency info:

Broward County
Miami-Dade County
Monroe County

If you haven’t gone to the grocery store yet, be prepared for lines. Consider going later in the day.

    •    Yes, do buy sweetened condensed milk if you like milk in your coffee or tea. Evaporated canned milk or shelf-stable boxed products are alternatives.
    •    Stock up on food that doesn’t need refrigeration or much in the way of preparation: fresh fruits and vegetables, crackers and biscuits and baked goods.
    •    Get bags of ice for the cooler.  
    •    Check your backyard fruits: avocados, starfruit, bananas, coconuts and so on. Harvest what you can. Share with family and friends. If there's a surplus, consider donating to food banks or community refrigerators. After the storm, collect fallen fruit to eat, share or – if it's too damaged to eat – throw into the compost heap. 
    •    Shop at your farmers markets! Most fresh produce keeps without refrigeration.

Water?

Instead of standing in long lines for plastic-wrapped plastic water bottles, do this:

    ▪   Fill jugs from the tap. Fill other containers with water. 
    ▪   Fill zip-top bags from the tap (leave some space) and freeze.
    ▪   Make ice for the cooler.

What to Do When the Power Goes Out

Loss of power is one of the biggest challenges during storms. Outages can last hours to several days.

    ▪    Charge up your phone chargers now.
    ▪    If all your appliances are electric, consider buying a portable gas burner to heat water for tea and coffee, do simple stovetop cooking. Pull out camping/cookout supplies.
    ▪    Got a grill? Stock up on matches and charcoal for the barbecue (but always use this outdoors, never inside).
    ▪    Take inventory now of what’s in the freezer. if you lose power for a few days or longer you’ll have to – safely – deal with frozen meats and seafood, vegetables and any other foods. Here are food safety guidelines when your freezer has been out for more than a few hours.
    ▪    Get with your neighbors – safely – for candlelight dinners to use up what’s in the fridge. During Hurricane Andrew, when many were without power for a week or longer, neighbors met to share food, drink and help. For a few days, before the noisy generators started up, many South Floridians got to make new friends.