Power Outages — How Long Does Food Last in a Freezer, Refrigerator That's Off?

Over the past decade, Brooklyn's gone through a number of power outages due to winter storms, summer hurricanes, and sheer overload of the electricity grid during heat waves. And, each time people from Sheepshead Bay to Park Slope wonder aloud about whether they have to discard all the food they've stashed in their fridge and freezers. Brooklyn is, after all, a very foodie borough in a culinary capital. So, people take their food seriously.

How Long Can You Keep Food in Your Refrigerator when the Power is Out

According to the USDA's ABCD’s of Keeping Food Safe in an Emergency, you should always "keep meat, poultry, fish, and eggs refrigerated at or below 40." If you can't, it's safer to cook it (if you can barbecue it or cook it over a gas stove) or throw it away than eat it.

How Long Can You Keep Food in Your Freezer when the Power is Out?

According to Con Edison of New York, already-frozen food will remain frozen in your freezer for 36 to 48 hours. If the freezer isn't full, then it will remain frozen for about 24 hours.

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