10 Hacks to Help You Survive Hurricane Season

By Catherine Powell

Image courtesy pxhere

Even though it's only the second week in June and Hurricane Season has only just begun, we've already had our first named storm of the year.  Tropical Storm Arlene kicked off the season with more of a whimper than a bang as it spawned just north of Cuba in the Gulf of Mexico before moving east and turning into a tropical depression a couple of days later.  Still, there's a long way to go until November 1 when Hurricane Season officially ends.  In the meantime, the National Hurricane Center is predicting 15 named storms to make landfall this year.  To help you maximize your protection and minimize the damage that a tropical storm or hurricane can do to your property, I've come up with 10 hacks that can help you deal with Mother Nature when she turns ugly.

#1:  If flooding is imminent, get your furniture off the floor. - While your wall-to-wall carpets might be a write off if your home floods, that doesn't mean your sofa, armchairs, and beds have to go down with the ship.  Not if you can lift them a foot off the ground, they don't.  When most people think of floods they automatically assume that the water will rise 6-feet or more, but this isn't always the case unless you live on or near the beach or in a designated flood zone.  Many times flooding caused by rain can rise less than a foot in affected domiciles, which means little if all your furniture is sitting on the floor.  One enterprising Tik Tok creator in St. Augustine bought a couple dozen buckets that she used to lift her furniture off the floor.  While her home was inundated by black water by a named storm, her furniture survived unscathed.

#2: Turn a water jug into an emergency light. - Everybody stocks up on drinking water before a named storm.  Why not use those gallon jugs as an emergency light when the power goes out.  All you need to do is take any LED headlamp and strap it to the side of the jug with the light facing the jug.  As soon as you flip on the power, the light will diffuse inside the translucent jug such that it can be used to illuminate a room for nights on end.  Just make sure the headlamp is fully charged before the lights go out.  If you don't have a headlight but you do have solar-powered yard lights you can strap them to a jug at night and recharge them during the day. What could be easier?

#3: Three uses for those gallon freezer bags. - Fill them 3/4 with water and freeze them solid.  If the power goes out, keep some in the freezer and put some in the fridge.  They'll stay frozen for a day or more and when they thaw you can drink the water.  You can also use freezer bags to protect cellphones, tablets, cash, and more since they're waterproof once they're zipped shut.

Image courtesy Pixabay

#4: Did you know your washing machine can double as a cooler? - It can if you use those frozen gallon bags of water.  Put your soft drinks on the bottom of the agitator and 3-4 bags on top.  Close the lid and you have a cooler.  Since hot air rises and cool air sinks, this emergency cooler should keep your beverages cold for a day or more, depending on how often you open the lid.

#5: Use your dishwasher to protect valuable documents, expensive electronics, and more safe & dry. - Whether you're forced to evacuate or not, you can use the dishwasher in your kitchen to protect valuables because it's weatherproof once it's closed tight.  This way if your home floods or a window breaks only to let in the rain, whatever you stuff in the dishwasher will remain bone dry until the storm has subsided.  As long as your home is still standing, any valuables stored inside will be safe from all but the worst storm damage.

#6: Need extra beds? - You never know how many people you'll wind up hosting during a hurricane.  If unexpected guests show up and there aren't enough beds to go around, what can you do?  If you have a pool, you can use the blowup furniture that floats for bedding.  An inflated kiddie pool turned upside down can also double as a bed, especially if you throw a comforter or two underneath it.  Those old sleeping bags stored in the attic can also be much more comfortable than sleeping on the floor.

#7: How do you know if the food in your freezer is safe to eat once the power comes back on? - Before you leave, fill a cup with water and let it freeze solid.  Place a quarter on top of the ice and close the freezer.  When the power comes back on, open the freezer to see where the coin is.  If it's sitting atop the ice, the food in your freezer never thawed out, so the food doesn't need to be tossed.  If the coin is sitting at the bottom of the cup, the ice thawed and then refroze.  Bad news, you'll have to discard all the food in the freezer.

Image courtesy Pixabay

#8: Did you know you can convert pillowcases into sand bags? - If you don't have sand on hand, you can fill the bags with soil or even kitty litter.  Just make sure you hose them down to dampen them before you deploy them outside your doors.

#9: Turn your hallway into a safe room. - Nobody is prepared for the ferocity of a named storm until the lights go out and a window or door blows out.  Tropical storms and hurricanes aren't only capable of spawning tornadoes, they can also turn tree limbs and other loose debris into projectiles that can shatter windows or sail clean through walls.  Things can go from unpleasant to perilous in a hurry during a named storm.  To keep from being injured by flying glass or peppered by rain and hail were a window or door to blow out, your best bet to take shelter is in a windowless hallway.  The best way to turn your hallway into a safe room is to stock it with food, water, bedding (even if it's only a sleeping bag), lights, folding chairs, cushions and blankets.

#10: Take a video of your property before any named storm arrives in your area. - Want to make it easier for you to get a storm damage claim approved?  Take a video that showcases your home inside and out before a storm rolls through your area.  This way you'll be able to provide your insurance company with before and after footage that proves any damage wasn't preexisting.  Make sure to record any areas that aren't attached to your home but are included in your homeowner's policy.

Catherine Powell is the owner of A Plus All Florida, Insurance in Orange Park, Florida.  To find out more about saving money on all your insurance needs, check out her website at http://aplusallfloridainsuranceinc.com/