A grocery cart is loaded with items during hurricane season in south Louisiana.
Nonperishable food items are essential in your hurricane supply kit. (March 2022 file photo by Leslie Westbrook, The Advocate)
Damaged goods and debris line the front of Jeremy Houston's home as he cooks chicken on a grill on First Street in St. Rose in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida on Sunday, September 5, 2021. (Photo by Brett Duke, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
Val Rainey makes her final groceries at Rouses on North Carrollton Ave. ahead of Hurricane ZetaÕs arrival in New Orleans, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2020.(Photo by David Grunfeld, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
A grocery cart is loaded with items during hurricane season in south Louisiana.
Nonperishable food is an essential part of your hurricane kit. Popular go-to items in south Louisiana are tuna, Vienna sausages and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
But, there are plenty of other nonperishable or shelf-stable items that you should consider for emergencies. Some of these are good to buy now at the beginning of hurricane season, while others have a shorter lifespan but can last a week without refrigeration, such as bread and fresh fruit.
See more: Read our hurricane guide for beginners.
Most emergency planners advise that you stock enough nonperishable food and water to last for two weeks per person. The Red Cross and FEMA say every household should have a three-day supply of one gallon of water per person per day, plus more for any instant foods that require water for preparation, such as instant oatmeal, dry milk and soup mixes.
Select foods you like and normally eat. Don't waste money on food you or your family won't eat.
You may not have any way to heat food or refrigerate it. Buy single-serve portions, when possible, to avoid leftovers.
Nonperishable food items are essential in your hurricane supply kit. (March 2022 file photo by Leslie Westbrook, The Advocate)
Make sure you have a manual can opener with big handles.
Have disposable plates, bowls, cups and utensils, so you don't have to use your water supply washing dishes.
Remember baby food, special dietary requirements and food for your pets.
An unopened full freezer will keep food safe to eat for about 48 hours without power; a half-full one for 24 hours. Highly perishable contents of your refrigerator will stay fresh for only four to six hours after the power goes out. Read more tips for fridge safety during power outages.
A good hurricane kit includes ready-to-eat food, such as granola bars, in addition to food that tastes better heated, such as canned chili. This list includes suggestions for both.
If you don't have a way to boil water when the power is off, do not include foods that require hot water. Keep in mind foods that require water also will consume your water supply quickly.
People cook on gas stoves and outdoor grills during storm-related power outages. Have matches or a lighter for your gas stove because most igniters are electric and won't work during an outage.
Damaged goods and debris line the front of Jeremy Houston's home as he cooks chicken on a grill on First Street in St. Rose in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida on Sunday, September 5, 2021. (Photo by Brett Duke, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
If you have a grill, stock up on propane or charcoal before a storm.
You can boil water on a grill in a cast-iron skillet or any heavy pot. An old pot is good. You can use everyday cookware on a grill, but it may discolor permanently.
Have at least one roll of heavy-duty foil in your emergency cooking kit. Foil pans are good for cooking and baking on a grill.
Other ways to heat food:
Never use a charcoal or gas grill indoors. The same goes for generators. NEVER run a gasoline engine in or near your garage or living/sleeping space. Sadly, carbon monoxide kills people in every disaster area.
New Orleans food writer Judy Walker contributed to this report.
Have more food suggestions? Email online@theadvocate.com.
Sources: Times-Picayune archives, LSU AgCenter.
A version of this story originally appeared on NOLA.com in August 2013.
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Val Rainey makes her final groceries at Rouses on North Carrollton Ave. ahead of Hurricane ZetaÕs arrival in New Orleans, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2020.(Photo by David Grunfeld, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
Carlie Kollath Wells is a breaking news reporter at NOLA.com and The Times-Picayune.
The Atlantic hurricane season is from June 1 to Nov. 30, but storms can form any time.
Plan for it to take at least 4x longer than usual to reach your destination.
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