Millions Still Dealing With Power Outages After Ike

If you are one of the 2.26 million people affected by hurricane Ike and living without power -  help is on the way.  CenterPoint Energy, the main energy provider in Texas, has restored power to hundreds of thousands of customers since Hurricane Ike hit on Saturday. According to Floyd LeBlanc, spokesman for CenterEnergy Point, "We still have a lot of work ahead of us. We have 8,500 skilled workers in the field today, in neighborhoods across the Houston-Galveston region. We're making really good progress."

While there are many people working to bring power back to people across Texas, it might take as long as a month before power is restored to all residents. If you would like to find out more about your particular neighborhood and when you can expect to have power please go to CenterPoint Energy’s website.

Safety Tips after a Power Outage

• Be sure to use a flashlight for emergency lighting. Never use candles as they can cause a fire!
• Make sure to turn off electrical equipment you were using when the power went out.
• Don’t open the refrigerator or freezer so that your food can stay as fresh as possible.
• Listen to a portable radio if you have one. It can help you get the latest news and information.
• Don’t run a generator inside a home or garage.
• If you use a generator, connect the equipment you want to power directly to the outlets on the generator. Don’t connect a generator to your home's electrical system.
• Leave one light turned on so you'll know when your power returns.
• Remember that equipment such as automated teller machines (ATMs) and elevators may not work during a power outage.

Food Safety

If the power is out for less than 2 hours, then the food in your refrigerator and freezer will be safe to eat. While the power is out, keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to keep food cold for longer.

If the power is out for longer than 2 hours, follow the information below:

• If your freezer is half full it will hold food safely for up to 24 hours.
• A full freezer will hold food safely for 48 hours.
• Do not open the freezer door if you can avoid it.
• Place refrigerated food items like milk, other dairy products, meat, fish, eggs and leftovers into a cooler surrounded by ice. Inexpensive Styrofoam coolers work well.
• Use a food thermometer to check the temperature of your food right before you cook or eat it. Throw away any food that has a temperature of more than 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Safe Drinking Water

When power goes out, your local water purification system may not be working. What this means is that your tap water may not be safe for drinking, cooking, or bathing. Here are some general rules to follow:

• Do not use contaminated water to wash dishes, brush your teeth, wash
  and prepare food, wash your hands, make ice, or make baby formula.
  If possible, use baby formula that does not need to have water added.
• Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer like Purell to wash your hands.
• If you use bottled water, be sure it came from a safe source.
• If you do not know that the water came from a safe source, you should boil or treat it before you use it.
• Use only bottled, boiled, or treated water until your water supply is tested and found safe.
• Boiling water is the best way to kill harmful bacteria and parasites in your tap water.
• Bringing water to a rolling boil for 1 minute will kill most germs and bacteria.

To learn more about how to make your drinking water safe during a power outage please click here.