10 Hurricane Life Hacks

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – CBS4's David Sutta knows the current track has everyone on edge. Add to that, Hurricane Irma has had perhaps the longest storm prep period he's ever seen.

South Florida started getting supplies about seven to eight days ahead of the storm. In all his years of storm coverage, he's never seen that.

That said, here are few things you can still do to prepare based on his past experiences.

1. Fill up the tub with water. Don't worry, you won't be drinking out of a tub. The water can be used to flush a toilet rather than using your drinking water. Do this as the storm approaches.
2. Empty your ice bin into freezer Ziploc bags and make more ice. Ice is about to become a premium.
3. Use water from the tap as long as you can. If you must use bottles, keep them and refill them. After the storm assume tap water is not safe to drink.
4. Turn up your freezer and fridge to the coldest settings. Avoid opening them as much as possible.
5. Cook your perishable foods – Meats, veggies, etc. – on Friday. Put them in the fridge. Those will be your first meals after the storm. Save the non-perishables for Day 2 on.
6. Pack essential supplies in a central spot in your home. Do not use cardboard boxes. Sturdy (non-paper) bags, plastic containers, etc. are better. What's an essential supply? Food, water, batteries, flashlights, car/wall chargers.
7. Have two exits from your home. Hopefully the storm shutters are up. In case of an emergency such as a fire you do not want to trap yourself in your own home. Leave two doors uncovered to exit from.
8. Get the battery-powered radio ready. DirecTV/DISH will go first, power outage will take cable with it. Cellphone service will likely fail. All news stations have agreements to simulcast on the radio. It will be your best source of information on what is happening as it happens.
9. Do you own a bottle of fix a flat? Post storm conditions are hell on tires. If you can find it today, grab a bottle.
10. Make your communication plan. Use an online platform to communicate with such as Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, etc. An online platform is better than texting and phones because you can leave messages there for someone else to retrieve. If cell service or Wi-Fi is out, this will be a good means of communicating once you get to a place with service.

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