飓风季实用清单：USDA 列明断电后食物保存时限，农损须在72小时内报告
飓风Isaias逼近之际，美国农业部（USDA）10月9日向农户与居民发布防备指引，把断电后的食品安全时限逐项列清。
USDA提醒：断电后，冰箱内冷藏食物在华氏40度以下约可保存4小时。冷冻柜若装满，食物约可保存48小时；若只装了一半，约可保存24小时。
若能提前备冰，50磅干冰或块冰可以让一台18立方英尺的冷冻柜保冷约2天。
对农户来说，灾损报告同样卡着时间：农作物保险与非保险作物灾害援助计划（NAP）项下的损失，须在72小时内报告，并在15天内提交书面跟进。错过时限，可能影响后续救助资格。
USDA列出的救助项目包括牲畜损失补偿、树木援助、紧急保育与森林修复、紧急农业贷款等。涉及肉类与家禽的问题，可拨打热线1-888-674-6854咨询。（资料来源：美国农业部10月9日新闻稿）
Hurricane Season Checklist: USDA Lays Out Food Safety Clocks After Power Loss and a 72-Hour Deadline for Reporting Farm Losses
With Hurricane Isaias approaching, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued preparedness guidance for farmers and residents on October 9, spelling out the food safety clocks that start ticking when the power goes out.
According to USDA, once power is lost, refrigerated food kept below 40°F will stay safe for about four hours. A full freezer will hold food safely for about 48 hours; a half-full freezer, about 24 hours.
If ice can be secured in advance, 50 pounds of dry ice or block ice can keep an 18-cubic-foot freezer cold for about two days.
For farmers, loss reporting runs on a deadline as well: losses under crop insurance and the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) must be reported within 72 hours, with a written follow-up within 15 days. Missing those windows can jeopardize eligibility for assistance.
USDA listed available assistance programs including livestock indemnity payments, tree assistance, emergency conservation and forest restoration, and emergency farm loans. Questions about meat and poultry can be directed to the hotline at 1-888-674-6854. (Source: USDA press release, October 9)
图片来源：自国际空间站俯瞰飓风风眼（资料图） Photo: NASA astronaut Ed Lu, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons