Your Fridge Could Explode And Destroy Your Kitchen

Consider this a cautionary tale.  A woman in North Carolina is giving a heads-up to folks all across the country, after her relatively new refrigerator exploded and  totally destroyed her kitchen!  She said it sounded like an earthquake, or an explosion.

After what must have seemed like a sonic boom, Lenore Satterthwaite went into her kitchen where cabinet doors were on the floor and holes were in the walls where flying debris had hit.  She called 911, and firefighters responded, finding no explanation as to what caused the explosion other than the refrigerator itself.  The flying cabinet doors hit the walls and took out huge chunks - slabs - of drywall.  The glass insert in the oven door was shattered.  That's right, glass that can withstand 500 degrees or more from the broiler was completely destroyed by the refrigerator explosion. Drawers blew open and their fronts were bent or destroyed.  And all that was left of the fridge was a shell.

In a video you have to see, Satterthwaite says just days before the explosion, she complained about the refrigerator making a loud noise, but the Frigidaire repairman who was sent to her home said it was her problem, that she needed a new fan, which had to be ordered.

The fridge exploded before the new fan could be installed.  Fortunately, homeowner’s insurance covered repairs for all the damage caused by the refrigerator, while Frigidaire continues to review Satterthwaite’s service records.  As it stands though, the homeowner will be on the hook for higher insurance premiums for damage caused by a fairly new appliance.

This isn’t the first time an exploding refrigerator has threatened the lives of unassuming owners, as you can see in this report from West Palm Beach, where the culprit was a Whirlpool fridge.  The moral of the story is that if your refrigerator sounds weirder than usual, get an expert set of eyes on it right away, and notify the manufacturer, so that an exploding fridge doesn’t ruin your kitchen, too!

It'll be here before you know it. Hurricane season is upon us and if Ian and Helene  taught us anything, it's better to be safe than sorry. Even though Tampa was barely able to avoid the worst of Ian, we still remember people scrambling to get last-minute supplies. Some waited in lines for hours for supplies only to leave empty-handed. Don't let that be you this year! In the case of a major hurricane or even a tropical storm, you should have these 5 things before hurricane season starts.

Experts say it's super important to build a storm kit before any type of disaster. Each kit may look different based on an individual's needs. These are the universal 5 items you shouldn't forget! We found all of these items on Amazon. If you think ahead and order these items now, you should be able to build your storm kit before hurricane season even starts. Anybody can remember to stock up on the essentials (bottled water, food, and batteries) but do you have these useful items in your home in case of a big storm?

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has also listed hurricane safety tips and resources so you and your family can be prepared. When shopping for supplies, you should grab enough items like water, food, and batteries, to be able to last you for at least 1 week. It also seems pretty obvious that every Floridian should own a battery-operated or hand-crank radio. If you ever lose power, at least you can still be kept in the loop with your favorite radio station. And by now, everyone should have a backup portable phone charger.

Remember when everyone was scrambling all over Pinellas and Hillsborough counties looking for sand bags? Most pick-up locations were only allowing people to pick up 2-3 bags per person, which is probably not enough to surround your house/belongings.

If you order these empty sandbags on Amazon now, you should have them by next week. It will make your life a lot easier to just drive to your nearest beach or causeway and fill the bags up that way.

We all know how crappy it is to lose power in the middle of a hurricane. In some cases, you may not know when it will be restored. Amazon has this really cool battery powered camping lantern with a fan for only $20. Reviews say that 1 set of D batteries lasted them over 10 hours.

If you live in Florida and don't have a decent pair of rain boots, now is your time to get a pair. If the thought of gross storm water touching your skin freaks you out, you should grab a pair of these knee high waterproof boots.

It's better to have something and not need it than to need something and not have it, right? Check out this mini water filtration system for just $22 on Amazon.

You don’t want to ruin important documents like social security, state issued ID and birth certificates, prescription medication, copies of insurance documents, to name a few. Bonus if you can convert other important documents to an USB flash drive! You'll want something big enough to hold all of your belongings, but compact enough to carry around in case you have to evacuate. Amazon has a great option, here.

This one may seem obvious, which is why we made it an honorary mention in case it does slip your mind. Remember how bored you were when you lost power from Ian? Some board games, deck of cards, or coloring books should help you pass the time, without killing your phone battery.