Power’s Out? Does this Chicken Smell Funny to You?

After a quick-moving storm blew through the Capital Region yesterday afternoon it left a lot of damage to trees, roofs, and powerlines in its wake.

It's been estimated that about 150,000 people were without power last night and a lot are still dealing with no power today. My power went out in Averill Park about 3:00 pm yesterday (Wednesday) and as of 1:00 pm Thursday it still isn't back on.

So what about all the food in my refrigerator and freezer? How long can it stay in there with the power off and still be safe to eat?

According to the CDC website, if the doors stay closed, food will stay safe for up to four hours in a refrigerator and 48 hours in a full freezer; 24 hours in a half-full freezer. The CDC believes in the "If in doubt, throw it out" policy. So, since the power's been out for more than 12 hours for a lot of people in the Capital Region,  a lot of people will be throwing out food.

It drives my wife crazy, but I always east food after the expiration date and even food that's been left out. I'm just not that worried about it. So I probably won't throw anything out. Of course, that's me...you do you.

Just FYI most electric utilities won't reimburse you for spoiled food due to storms knocking power out. If they caused the power outage, you might be able to get reimbursed for spoiled food. However, your homeowner's insurance policy might.

Here are the current estimates of outages and when you can expect your power to come back on from 6 New Albany.

Albany County: 57,199 without power. The estimated restoration time is 11 pm.

Columbia County: 3,186 customers without power. No estimated restoration is given.

Montgomery County: 2,877 customers without power. The estimated restoration time is 11 pm.

Rensselaer County: 34,807 customers without power. No estimated restoration is given.

Saratoga County: 15,368 customers without power. No estimated restoration is given.

Schenectady County: 28,190 customers without power. The estimated restoration time is 11 pm.