HANDY HURRICANE GADGETS

Is this your first hurricane season in the Florida Keys? Welcome to our world. Fortunately, plenty of people in our island chain have realworld experience with forecasts, watches, warnings, storm shutters, preparations, evacuations and the aftermath. We asked a few of those locals for some storm-related gadgets and essentials that could make your life easier.

Tire-inflator adapter for scuba tanks

Walkie Talkies

John Schaefer, a mail carrier hailing from Marathon, made the decision to ride out Hurricane Irma in his second-floor condo, sleeping in his tub while wearing a life jacket and helmet with a kayak at the ready. For those who choose to “ride it out,” he stressed the importance of having a team of friends or family at the ready to help each other and address urgent needs both before and after the storm. In the potential absence of cell service, having a backup method of communication is key, as well as supplies to be self-sufficient. “We used walkie talkies,” he said. “That was huge, having a communication system.”

LuminAID Solar Lantern

Key West Weekly editor Mandy Miles discovered these inflatable, collapsible, solar-powered, LED lights about a year before Hurricane Irma hit. So by the time the storm came in 2017, she had a whole drawer of the lights — and had given them as gifts to several friends and relatives. There are several brands and varieties, but they’re all pretty similar. They’re made of sturdy vinyl and collapse like a beach ball when not in use. When needed, just blow them up into a lightweight square and turn on the light. Float it in the pool, hang it from a hook or set a few all over the house when the power goes out. The latest versions even come with phone chargers.

Hurricane Irma’s destruction had to land somewhere, and when it did, thousands of roofing nails and other sharp objects landed in driveways and roadways, flattening countless tires. Just a month before the storm, Capt. Stan Miles had ordered a tire-inflator adapter that attaches to the top of a scuba tank. In the days following Hurricane Irma, Miles didn’t leave home without an air tank and his adaptor, which he used on two of his own tires, one of his wife’s and the tires of about seven other friends and neighbors. (In addition to the tire-inflator adaptor, he threw a couple tire plug kits into his trusty Ford F150 and got plenty of folks back on the road.) “That adapter was the best 12 bucks I ever spent,” Miles said. (Another pro tip? Fill buckets of water from the backyard pool and pour them into the toilet to flush the toilet if the water goes out, which happened during Hurricane Irma.)

More Helpful Hurricane Items

Portable Generator

While we’re all jealous of our friends with the giant generator system that snaps on in a second and powers the whole house (A/C included), it’s not a feasible (or affordable) option for everyone. But there are budget-friendly portable generators that will power your fridge/freezer (which means ice for drinks), some big box fans, phone chargers and radios. Just remember, always read the instructions, invest in some heavy-duty, weather-proof extension cords and don’t be stupid. Generators — and the carbon monoxide they produce — belong OUTSIDE.

Arlo Go Wireless Security Camera

Did the storm knock out your power? Do you want to keep the security camera rolling on your property or home in the time you have without Wi-Fi? With Arlo Go’s wireless security camera, hook it up to your cellular plan to keep an eye on your property. Get access to live video and twoway audio. And notifications immediately appear on your phone. It’s great not only for homes but also boats.

Fm Radio

While many people have made the switch to satellite radio and streaming services, there’s no substitute during a storm for a regular FM radio to hear local news, advisories and weather reports. Make sure you have plenty of C or D batteries, whatever the old-school boombox requires.

Waterproof Rubber Boots

Anyone who waded through flooded streets following Hurricane Ian, Irma or Wilma in the Florida Keys knows that waterproof, rubber rain boots (the taller, the better) are storm essentials.