As Hurricane Florence barrels towards the US, here's why you should always put a quarter on a cup of frozen water before evacuating

One woman's useful tip for hurricane preparedness is more relevant than ever as the US braces for Hurricane Florence.

Shiela Pulanco Russell of Lumberton, North Carolina, took to Facebook in October 2016 to share a useful tip for those evacuating their homes during Hurricane Matthew.

"For those of you that are evacuating from the coast, I just heard a great tip. It's called the one cup tip. You put a cup of water in your freezer. Freeze it solid and then put a quarter on top of it and leave it in your freezer," Russell wrote at the time.

"That way when you come back after you've been evacuated you can tell if your food went completely bad and just refroze or if it stayed Frozen while you were gone."

"If the quarter has fallen to the bottom of the cup that means all the food defrosted and you should throw it out," she continued. "But if the quarter is either on the top or in the middle of the cup then your food may still be ok."

"If you don't feel good about your food, just throw it out. The main thing is for all to be safe."

Although it's nearly two years old, Russell's advice is particularly relevant as North America braces itself for the impact of a storm that will "hit with a punch not seen in more than 60 years."

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