Stay Safe This Holiday Season: Turkey Fryer Dangers and Food Safety Tips

Turkey Fryers

Be alert to the dangers if you’re thinking of celebrating the holidays by frying a turkey. The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports there have been hundreds turkey-fryer related fires, burns or other injuries, and millions of dollars in property loss from these incidents.

NSC discourages the use of turkey fryers at home and urges those who prefer fried turkey to seek out professional establishments or consider using an oil-less turkey fryer. If you must fry your own turkey, follow all U.S. Fire Administration turkey fryer guidelines.

Food Poisoning Is No Joke

Keep your holidays happy by handling food safely. The foodsafety.gov website from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provides some valuable holiday food safety tips:

  • Wash your hands frequently when handling food
    ● Keep raw meat away from fresh produce
    ● Use separate cutting boards, plates and utensils for uncooked and cooked meats to avoid cross-contamination
    ● Use a food thermometer to make sure meat is cooked to a safe temperature
    ● Refrigerate hot or cold leftover food within two hours of being served
    ● When storing turkey, cut the leftovers in small pieces so they will chill quickly
    ● Thanksgiving leftovers are safe for three to four days when properly refrigerated

Watch this holiday food safety video for more information.

NHCRWA Implements Stage 1 of the Drought Contingency Plan

Due to the issues at the City of Houston’s NEWPP, the Authority is experiencing difficulties in meeting the high demand under the extreme weather conditions. The Authority is implementing Stage 1 of our Drought Contingency Plan immediately. The Authority’s Drought Contingency Plan request that any customer receiving water from the Authority or well owner whose well is included under the Authority’s Harris-Galveston Subsidence District aggregate water well permit:

Check for and repair all leaks, dripping faucets, and running toilets.

  • Utilize water conservation measures such as displacement bags, low-flow shower heads and leak detection tablets. Additional water conservation tips can be found at www.irrygator.com;
  • Limit irrigation to no more than two days per week, between 7:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. following the schedules below:
    • Sundays and Thursdays for single family residential customers with even-numbered street addresses.
    • Saturdays and Wednesdays for single family residential customers with odd-numbered street addresses.
    • Tuesdays and Fridays for all other customers.
    • No watering on Mondays.

Compliance to the above recommendations is voluntary.

NHCRWA Implements Stage 2 of the Drought Contingency Plan

The City of Houston (COH), the primary source of water for the North Harris County Regional Water Authority (Authority), has entered stage two of their Drought Contingency Plan, effective on August 27, 2023. The COH’s drought response calls for mandatory water conservations efforts to reduce water use, that will reduce the daily volume of water delivered. The Houston Public Works Release can be found under https://cityofhouston.news/stagetwodrought.

As required by the Authority’s Drought Contingency Plan, the Authority must enter Stage 2 of our Drought Contingency Plan, when the COH enters into Stage 2 water shortage of their Drought Contingency Plan. The Authority’s Drought Contingency Plan requires that any customer receiving water from the Authority or well owner whose well is included under the Authority’s Harris-Galveston Subsidence District aggregate water well permit:

  • Repair detectible water leaks within 72 hours of discovery;
  • Utilize water conservation measures such as displacement bags, low-flow shower heads and leak detection tablets;
  • Please limit irrigation and lawn watering to the times and days indicated below.
    • Sundays and Thursdays for customers with a street address ending in an evennumber (0, 2, 4, 6 or 8)
    • Saturdays and Wednesdays for water customers with a street address ending in an odd number (1, 3, 5, 7 or 9)
    • Tuesdays and Fridays for all other customers
    • No Watering on Mondays
    • Irrigate landscapes only between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. on designated watering days.

Compliance with the above requirements is mandatory.

NHCRWA implements Stage 2 of the Drought Contingency Plan 08-24-2023

North Harris County Regional Water Authority

Drought Condition Update

FGMUD is not currently implementing any drought condition responses.

Residents in FGMUD with Tomball zip codes are not included in the City of Tomball.

Faulkey Gully MUD adheres to recommendations put forth by the North Harris County Regional Water (NHCRWA); any drought condition responses will be at their discretion.

Should conditions change, updates will be quickly posted here and signs will be distributed throughout the District.

Lightning Safety Tips and Resources

http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov has changed to a more secure link: https://www.weather.gov/safety/lightning. Please bookmark the new link.

Lightning strikes the United States about 25 million times a year. Although most lightning occurs in the summer, people can be struck at any time of year. Lightning kills about 20 people in the United States each year, and hundreds more are severely injured. This website will teach you how to stay safe and offer insight into the science of lightning. You’ll find animated books about lightning, safety tips for all kinds of situations, games for kids and resources for teachers. You’ll learn about lightning victims and survivors. Explore our site, and come and visit often! En Espanol

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