When the power goes out in Florida, it’s a miserable experience. When it’s hot and humid, going without air conditioning is torture. Not having juice to charge all those gadgets that can keep you entertained during a power outage is a nightmare too.
A few years ago, Denis Phillips from ABC Action News shared his tips of things you can do in advance to make your life easier if the power does go out. A few of these tips you’ve probably heard before, but there are a few ingenious life hacks that you probably haven’t.
If you have another tip, pass it along and we’ll share it below. Tweet @GenoRadio, leave a comment on my Facebook page or drop me an email at [email protected].
Laundry
Denis points out that without air conditioning, anything dirty will start to stink your place up! And when the AC goes out, you’ll want clean sheets because you’ll be sweating a lot. Do a few loads before the nasty weather arrives so you’ll feel great in fresh smelling clothes.
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Old Phones
You probably have an old phone in a junk drawer you forgot to sell when you upgraded to that snazzy full-featured iPhone you have now. What happens if you run out of juice on that shiny new phone? When you know the storm’s coming charge up those laptops, and OLD phones… not just the one you use now. Old phones call still call 911 and family members if there’s an emergency.
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ATM
Before the storm, hit the ATM and grab some cash. If power goes out for a while or systems go down, it’ll be good to have some cash on hand. You might want to do a couple withdrawals – one for big bills, but it might be extra handy to have some 5’s and 10’s on hand too. So do extra withdrawals for $5 or $10.
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Your AC
This is certainly one I wouldn’t have thought of doing… but it makes sense. Higher temps in the room will lower the temp in your fridge to preserve those foods longer. Brilliant right?
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Meat
Use up all those perishable foods and cook whatever meat you have in the fridge. Freeze cooked food too. Denis says he loves a hardboiled egg as a snack on that first day without power. Hopefully the power will be back on so your food doesn’t spoil, but that pricy steak that’s sitting in the fride should be enjoyed now just in case!
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The Coin Trick
This tip is my favorite and it’s so smart! Before the storm hits, stick a cup of water in your freezer. Once it has frozen over, leave a coin on the top. If you lose power, keep the doors closed. When the power comes back on, if the coin stayed on top after the power went out, your food stayed frozen!
Shower
You’re going to feel awfully grimy and gross if you lose AC. Take a shower or bath before the storm arrives while you still have plenty of fresh hot water.
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Unplug Stuff
Unplug your electronics because there will likely be power surges. While many of us have surge protectors, lots of everyday items you have plugged in right now may not be using one.
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