Hacks for Surviving a Hurricane

8/8/2022 (Permalink)

Living on Florida’s Space Coast, hurricanes have become a familiar part of life, and over the years I have picked up some hurricane hacks that have saved me time and money. Here are several of the tricks I have picked up during my experience through hurricanes.

Waterproof Safe

A dishwasher can act as a waterproof safe. Just take the dishes out to store important documents or non-waterproof valuables. 

Freezer Fail Detector

It can be hard to know if your power went out while you were on vacation. If it did, your food might not be safe. Fill a jar halfway with water then freeze and then place it on its side. Put the jar upright before you leave and take note if the water has melted and refrozen at the bottom of the jar to find out.

DIY Cooler

Use your washing machine as a cooler. Fill it up halfway with ice, and then fill it up with items that need refrigeration.

Hurricane Lamps

Strap a headlamp onto a water jug to make a light. You can make several of these, and set them throughout your home.

Stock Up on Crayons

If you have kids, you probably have a ton of crayons lying around — which means you also have a bunch of mini-candles at your disposal if disaster strikes. File this under "good to know" and leave crayons and a paper plate in various drawers around the house.

Covert AAA Batteries to AA batteries in a Pinch

Many more devices take AA batteries than AAA batteries. So in the event of a prolonged power outage, you'll probably find yourself running out of the right size batteries. Fear not, because if you have some AAA batteries, you can easily turn them into AA batteries with just a little foil. I wouldn't recommend doing this out of pure laziness in a nonemergency situation due to the fire hazard potential, but in a pinch it can work.

DIY Air Conditioner

Keep cool without air conditioning. It’s a good idea in the summer to fill up empty two-liters with water and keep them in your freezer. If the power goes out, you can place one frozen two-liter in front of a battery operated fan and sit directly in front of it for a DIY air conditioner.