Life hacks to stay safe ahead of Hurricane Florence: Turn a washing machine into a cooler, fill bathtub with water
Hurricane Florence is roaring toward the East Coast as residents prepare to weather the storm's forecasted nearly 20 inches of rain and high winds.
North and South Carolina are expected to bare the brunt of the current Category 4 storm hitting Thursday, and Virginia will likely also see heavy rain and flooding. Maryland, Delaware and Washington, D.C., could also see significant rainfall.
For those in the path of Florence, here are a few hacks to know if you lose power or are trapped inside:
Fill your bathtub with water
Keeping water in the bathtub can be used to flush the toilet.
Fill plastic bags with water, and freeze them
To ensure your freezer maintains a cold temperature, freeze bags of water standing upright before bad weather. Placing a sheet of aluminum foil or parchment paper under the bags helps to make sure they do not stick to racks. Then, if the power goes out, the bags can be used to maintain a cold freezer or refrigerator temperature. It also doubles for extra drinking water.
Top a bag of frozen water with a coin
Add a penny or quarter to the top of a frozen bag or container of water inside your freezer. If you find the coin at the bottom, that means your freezer completely thawed and food is no good.
Use your washing machine as a cooler
Before the storm hits, fill your washer with ice. You can put water and other drinks in the washer to keep them cool — the ice will just drain out once it melts.