# Why Send Ice to the Rita Site? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 22, 2005, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-send-ice-to-the-rita-site/322930 "2005-09-22T19:06:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-send-ice-to-the-rita-site/322930/1 "2005-09-22T19:06:55Z")
Why is FEMA shipping tons of ice to the Rita hurricane site? If there’s no power, how will the ice remain frozen? Won’t the storage of the ice in trucks use lots of fuel, thereby making the situation worse? I just don’t get it. Anyone? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-send-ice-to-the-rita-site/322930/2 "2005-09-22T19:15:57Z")
> [@](#): > > If there’s no power, how will the ice remain frozen? Well, it won’t stay frozen forever, but you might be surprised how long it would last. Before refrigerators were invented, it was standard practice to store up ice from a pond or whatnot in the winter, and then use that ice all summer to keep things cool. If you lived in an area where you didn’t get enough or any ice in the winter, then you shipped it in from someplace that did. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_Bowe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@Doug\_Bowe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_Bowe)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-send-ice-to-the-rita-site/322930/3 "2005-09-22T19:18:30Z")
I’ve been through a few hurricanes and one eye. In a big blow one of the first things to go is power. If you’re prepared for the hurricane one of the things you have is an ice chest…in fact if you’re REALLY prepared you have _several_ ice chests. This should give you a few days to eat up food that otherwise would have spoiled. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-send-ice-to-the-rita-site/322930/4 "2005-09-22T19:18:45Z")
Fuel usage is a long-term concern, not a concern in a short-term emergency situation. Refrigerated trucks can run for days keeping things cold. Diesel engines powering the cold storage trailers can idle indefinetely. Ice is needed for things like food preservation, first aid, and because people need cold drinks in the heat. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-send-ice-to-the-rita-site/322930/5 "2005-09-22T22:11:57Z")
Insulin (and I’m assuming other medications) need to be kept cold, doesn’t it? When the ice melts, _poof_ potable water. ---
**Author:** ![aeropl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f05b48/32.png) [@aeropl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aeropl)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-send-ice-to-the-rita-site/322930/6 "2005-09-23T02:14:03Z")
When there is no power for weeks in a subtropical climate ice is one of the most valuable commodities besides food and water. Like the other posters said, it keeps for longer than you would think (because it insulates itself) and has many uses. The biggest uses probably being keeping your food fresh and your body cool. The medical usage is especially true for the elderly, since they are more sensitive to the lack of A/C. ---
**Author:** ![SleepyDuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@SleepyDuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SleepyDuck)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-send-ice-to-the-rita-site/322930/7 "2005-09-23T04:00:22Z")
As an added bonus, you may luck out and get a Head Bag. _chock full of heady goodness_ ---
**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-send-ice-to-the-rita-site/322930/8 "2005-09-23T05:08:42Z")
> [@Casey1505](#): > > Insulin (and I’m assuming other medications) need to be kept cold, doesn’t it? > > When the ice melts, _poof_ potable water. True. Most meds that need to be kept cold are freakin’ expensive too. Add to that trying to get ahold of that med soon after the storm, and ice comes in quite handy. ---
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-send-ice-to-the-rita-site/322930/9 "2005-09-23T14:46:14Z")
Because warm margaritas aren’t very good? I prefer frozen 'Rita’s myself, so… (Looks around) What? ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-send-ice-to-the-rita-site/322930/10 "2005-09-23T17:04:14Z")
[Slate article on this very topic.](http://slate.msn.com/id/2126644/) Summary: cold water is better than warm water in these situations, because it’s absorbed faster and keeps you cooler. Additionally, toss a bag of ice in a closed fridge and stuff’ll last for surprisingly long. Same goes for medications that need to be kept cold. Almost better than electricity in dire situations, because electricity is not potable.