Evaluation: USDA FSIS Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria Real-Time Risk Communicatio n

FSIS staff worked rapidly and nimbly throughout all three hurricanes to provide timely information. FSIS staff was able to adapt messaging to changing conditions and respond to the hurricanes that occurred in quick succession.

Social media engagements for the period of August 24 – October 6 are listed in the chart below: Social Media Profile Impressions Engagements

Twitter : @USDAFoodSafety 2,041,519 33,830

Twitter : @USDAFoodSafety_Es 185,500 1,757

Facebook: @FoodSafety.gov 575,655 13,184

In addition to social media, FSIS successfully placed a number of radio, web and print media stories, including: • Radio interview with Megan Bishop of WOAI Radio in San Antonio, TX - 8/25/17 • Radio interview with 102.3 NewsTalk KXYL, Brentwood, TX – 8/25/17 • Radio interview with Mathew Alvarez of Talk Radio 1370AM in Austin, TX - 8/25/17 • Radio interview with USA Radio (syndicated radio with 1,100 stations) - 8/25/17 • UnsafeFoods blog, Houston, TX: Food Safety in the Midst of Hurricane Harvey – 8/26/17 • Radio interview with Justin Mott of CBC Radio KDET AM 930 in Center, TX - 8/28/17 • Radio interview with Mark Cope of Newstalk Radio 102.3 KXYL in Brownwood TX - 8/28/17 • Food Safety Magazine – 8/29/17 • Radio interview with Lon Gonzalez of KEDT in Corpus Christi, TX - 8/30/17 • Radio intervie w with Bill O’Neil of 107.1 & 550 KTSA in Austin, TX - 8/30/17 • Radio interview with Chris Hogan of 740 AM KTRH in Houston, TX - 8/30/17 • KRIS 6 News, Corpus Christi, TX: UDSA releases food safety recommendations for Harvey victims – 8/30/17 • d-mars.com, in Houston, TX: Steps to follow during and after the weather emergency – 8/31/17 • Radio interview with Power 102.1 KPRR FM, El Paso, TX – 9/6/17 • Escuchemos.fm Radio in Spanish with outlets in PA, Puerto Rico and Florida – 9/6/17 • Mundo Excursiones: Protege Tus Alimentos Para Una Posible Pérdida de Energía Eléctrica En Caso Huracán – 9/6/17 • Daily Commercia l, Leesburg, Florida: Food safety tips for Hurricane Irma – 9/7/17 • News 104.5 WOKV, Jacksonville, FL: HURRICANE IRMA: Food safety tips for areas impacted – 9/7/17 • The Ledger, Lakeland, FL: What to do when power fails: Food safety tips from the USDA – 9/7/17 • The Clewiston News, Clewiston, FL: USDA offers Food Safety Tips for areas affected by Hurricane Irma – 9/7/17 • News Chief, Winter Haven, FL: What to do when power fails: Food safety tips from the USDA – 9/7/17 • Orlando Sentinel, Orlando, FL: Hurricane Irma: Food prep to keep in mind – 9/7/17 • GobiernoUSA.gov retweeted the @USDAFoodSafety_ES account promoting safe food handling after a power outage. – 9/7/17 • Orlando Weekly, Orlando, FL: Here's how to know if your food is safe to eat after Hurricane Irma – 9/8/17 • Food Safety News, Seattle, WA: USDA Posts food safety tips for those in path of Hurricane Irma – 9/8/17 • Radio intervie w with Univision’s Los Seis de la Tarde in Puerto Rico – 9/8/17 • Radio intervie w with 11 Alive News in Atlanta, Georgia – 9/8/17 • National Preparedness Month (NPM): Preparing for a Possible Weather Emergency blog to USDA.gov – 9/8/17 • NEWS 104.5 WOKV, Jacksonville, FL – 9/8/17 • 1330 AM WEBY Northwest Florida’s Talk Radio, Milton, FL – 9/8/17 • NotiCel- digital news, San Juan, PR: Once reglas básicas para manejar la comida tras una emergencia – 9/10/17 • The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, GA: Fridges after Irma stock danger: USDA food safety tips – 9/11/17 • The Miami Herald, Miami, FL: What to throw away, what to keep after your refrigerator and freezer lose power – 9/11/17 • Huffington Post (front page): How To Practice Food Safety Before And After A Hurricane – 9/11/17 • Jacksonville Times Leader, Jacksonville, FL – 9/12/17 • Victoria Advocate, Victoria, TX: Food Safety After a Disaster – 9/16/17

These placements resulted in more than 29 million verifiable impressions on American consumers. This means that millions of Americans were able to get the potentially life-saving information they needed during these severe storms.

From August 25 to October 6, the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline handled the following related to power outages and flooding: • 67 Hotline calls • 18 chats • 25 Ask Karen emails • 1,305 Ask Karen answers viewed