Good Sense Best Guide For Survival

A word to those without power: Be smart.

If in doubt about food, throw it out. If it crackles and sparks, don’t touch it. If you are cold, put clothes on. If a stop light is out, don’t run it.

Health, utility and safety officials say surviving a few nights in the dark requires common sense, candles and creativity.

“A lot of these things are common sense, but it doesn’t hurt to remind people,” said Carol Hall, manager for the Idaho Panhandle Chapter of the Red Cross.

On the bright side, toilets and faucets work. Roads are being cleared, power line repair workers combed the area Wednesday and garbage pick-up will not be delayed in Kootenai or Bonner counties.

But after more than two days of blackouts, problems can lurk in usually innocuous places. Like a yogurt container.

Spoiling food is one of the most pressing concerns. Dave Hylsky, an environmental specialist for the Panhandle Health District, says 45 degrees is the magic temperature - above it, bacteria can start to grow and destroy food.

Keeping the refrigerator closed helps, but he recommends buying a thermometer. If the mercury is above 45 degrees, toss out seafood, meat, dairy products, cooked pasta and soup, tartar sauce and those tubes of cookie dough.

Even leftover pizza with meat toppings becomes unruly after a night in a warm refrigerator.

“Even if the food smells OK it could still be bad,” Hylsky said. “When it gets to the smell stage it’s already been bad for some time.”

Thawed freezer products are fine to refreeze, as long as they still are cold or have ice crystals. But they’ll probably taste lousy.

For those who bought a turkey early, health officials recommend packing the bird in an ice-filled plastic bag and setting it outside at night.

Most food will remain safe in the refrigerator if the power is out for a couple of hours. Hylsky said stuffing as much into the freezer as possible will help, or pack food in coolers and store it outside. For residents who still are without power in Kootenai County, the Panhandle chapter of the Red Cross will have an emergency shelter open at the Seventh-day Adventist Church on Locust Street in Coeur d’Alene. The shelter will remain open as long as needed, Red Cross officials said.

The Red Cross also has pamphlets and information available offering tips on how to survive winter storms, such as keeping a gallon of drinking water per person on hand, in case of frozen pipes or downed pumps. To reach the Red Cross, call 664-5414.

Other tips:

Beware of fumes from gas stoves and heaters. Avoid using a gas stove as a primary heat source, and ventilate well if using a Coleman heater.

Close off unneeded rooms, wear layers of loosefitting clothing and eat and drink enough water so the body can produce its own heat.

If your home is too cold to bear, shelters are available.

For information about shelters and other locations, call Kootenai County disaster services at 769-4477.

For the Red Cross, call 664-5414.

Washington Water Power officials warn that any downed or sagging electrical lines still could be energized, and recommend staying away.

They also ask that no one plug generators into any part of an electrical system, and recommend turning off all appliances, unplugging computers and turning down thermostats.

For downed, energized power lines, call Washington Water Power at 664-0421 or Kootenai Electric Cooperative at 765-1200.

For information about possible road detours, call your city road department or highway district.

For sewer problems inside Coeur d’Alene city limits, call 769-2241.

For water problems inside Coeur d’Alene city limits, call 661-5975.

For downed trees on streets in Coeur d’Alene call 769-2233, Post Falls 773-4235, Kootenai County 664-1511.

Police remind motorists an intersection with a dark stoplight becomes a four-way stop.

City crews are clearing downed trees off roadways and officials urge residents to take debris to the Kootenai County landfill.

Public safety officials also ask that 911 calls be limited to life-threatening emergencies.

, DataTimes MEMO: Changed in the Spokane edition