TOPEKA, Kansas (WIBW) – Neighborhoods like Oakland are still dealing with the effects of Wednesday’s storm.

“My sons had to work yesterday and then my husband, I and one of my sons got a lot of work done today and we’re not even finished yet,” said Sarah Fugate. Sarah’s family helped clean up her mother’s house. “We don’t want my mom to have to pay someone to come and clean up. So we’re trying to do that for her.”

Although power is restored to most areas of Topeka, some blocks are still experiencing power outages.

“Currently, this block has no power,” Sarah said. “They’ve been without power since 10:15 p.m., which was Wednesday night when the storm came through. So they’ve had no power since then.”

Therefore, it is extremely important to take care of the things in the house that require electricity, especially food.

“In the event of a power outage, the food in your refrigerator will be safe for four hours if you keep the door closed,” said Susan Fangman, consumer sciences representative for K-state Research and Extension in Shawnee County. “In your freezer, the food will be safe for 24 hours if it’s half full, or 48 hours if it’s full.”

If your food has exceeded its shelf life, it is time to throw it away.

“I would make sure you refrigerate the things you don’t want to lose,” Fangman said. “Find a friend who has space in their freezer, or get some dry ice and have them refrigerate things.”

People like Ms. Fugate and her mother try to follow these guidelines.

“That’s why we’re trying to keep things as cool as possible and not open anything. And when the power comes back on, we’ll see how long it was out and assess the situation.”

“It may cost a lot of money to buy new food, but it can be even more expensive if you get sick because you ate something that went bad,” says Susan.

Currently, only 22 customers in Topeka are without power.

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