The U.S. Department of Agriculture reminds rural communities, farmers and ranchers, families, and small businesses in the path of Hurricane Florence that USDA has programs that provide assistance in the wake of disasters.

USDA staff in the regional, state and county offices stand ready and eager to help.

“If we know anything about American farmers, it’s that they can handle adversity. Even so, USDA is ready to help with the resources they need to be able to weather storms and recover from damages,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. “As hurricanes approach, we have USDA personnel in every county in the nation, standing by to assist in any way possible.”

Hurricane Florence currently is forecast to make landfall Saturday morning near the border between North Carolina and South Carolina, and then travel westward through South Carolina.

At the same time, Tropical Storm Isaac’s path may include Puerto Rico and the American Virgin Islands by Saturday morning. In the Pacific, Tropical Storm Olivia is forecast to move over the Hawaiian Islands late Tuesday into Wednesday, and Super Typhoon Mangkhut is moving away from Guam.

USDA encourages those in the path of the storms to take precautions to protect the safety of their food and animals.

Tips to best protect food safety before losing power:

•  Keep appliance thermometers in both the refrigerator and the freezer to ensure temperatures remain food safe during a power outage. Safe temperatures are 40 degrees F or lower in the refrigerator, 0 degrees F or lower in the freezer.

•  Freeze water in small plastic storage bags or containers prior to a storm. These containers are small enough to fit around the food in the refrigerator and freezer to help keep food cold.

•  Freeze refrigerated items, such as leftovers, milk and fresh meat and poultry that may not be needed immediately — this helps keep them at a safe temperature longer.

•  Consider getting 50 pounds of dry or block ice if a lengthy power outage is possible. This amount of ice should keep a fully-stocked 18-cubic-feet freezer cold for two days

•  Group foods together in the freezer — this “igloo” effect helps the food stay cold longer.

•  Keep a few days’ worth of ready-to-eat foods that do not require cooking or cooling.

For more information on USDA disaster assistance programs, people may contact their local USDA Service Center, which may be found online at offices.usda.gov.

– Submitted article