More than 650,000 Oncor customers in North Texas were without power at one point after the storm Tuesday morning.
DALLAS — High winds and heavy rain left many North Texas residents without power on Tuesday.
Families are facing a second day without lights, heat or air conditioning and are worried about food stored in refrigerators and freezers.
A temporary solution for keeping food cold or frozen is dry ice. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, buying a box of dry ice to place inside your freezer or large cooler can help keep food from spoiling.
50 pounds of dry ice will last 2 days, sometimes longer, in an 18 cubic foot freezer. Use care when handling dry ice. Do not handle it with bare hands or place it directly on food. The FDA recommends placing cardboard to separate the dry ice from food.
Please note that dry ice should only be used in a properly ventilated room, as insufficient airflow can cause a buildup of carbon dioxide gas.
The FDA also recommends keeping bottled water in your freezer, which not only helps keep frozen foods colder for longer, but also provides a source of clean drinking water if your regular water becomes contaminated.
Also important is the number of times you open your freezer or refrigerator. Every time the door is opened, cold air escapes.
Oncor had restored power to about 400,000 customers as of Wednesday afternoon. About 260,000 customers were still without power. The storm caused extensive damage to Oncor's system, leaving 650,000 people without power across North Texas.
More information about food safety during power outages, storms, and natural disasters is available on the USDA website.
