Preparing for Hurricane Irene

Hurricane Irene is going to hit the east coast this weekend and if you're like me, you're preparing for the worst but hoping for the best. Back in May, I told you all how to make a cheap emergency kit. Today, I'm going to pass along a few more tips so you are prepared if the storm hits your area.

Giant Food Stores has created a great list of information regarding your perishable food safety in the event of a poweroutage.

• Keep your refrigerator door shut, so it will hold its temperature better.
• If the power is out longer than 2-4 hours, pack perishable foods such as milk, meats, fish, poultry and eggs items in a cooler surrounded by ice.
• In extended outages, transfer freezer foods to a cooler with ice also. A half -full freezer should keep foods below 40 degrees for as long as 24 hours and a well-packed freezer will hold food safely for 48 hours.

Remember, the more you open the door, the more cold will escape. Don't put your emergency supply of water in the fridge because warm water is better than bad food.

Besides those basic tips, Giant also created a PDF with safety information regarding specific food item safety.

I recommend filling some plastic containers with water and filling in the empty space in your freezer. This way you will have ice to keep the food cold longer, and it'll take up the empty space. The more filled your freezer is, the longer things will stay frozen.

Before you risk a power outage, check online which radio station is most likely to have emergency announcements. Weather.com will continue to maintain up-to-date information regarding evacuations and safety procedures.