Any time we have inclement or extreme weather barreling down on Louisiana, you can almost guarantee that the viral hacks will begin to flood our news feeds on social media.

Whether it's a nasty batch of weather capable of producing tornadoes, or a massive hurricane making its way from the Gulf, we are no strangers to preparing for dangerous conditions—most recently, this arctic blast that has carried below-freezing temps into Louisiana.

We're all familiar with protecting things like pipes, pets, plants, people, etc.—but when it comes to how we prepare for those things that can vary. Some of the preparations (covering plants, bringing the animals indoors, putting that boob-looking thing over outdoor faucets) are pretty straightforward.

As stores began to run out of some of the standard supplies for deep freeze prep, some folks throughout the south began to get hilariously creative. If you haven't seen the Whataburger cup, it's definitely one of the funnier "freeze hacks" circulating on Facebook right now.

Sometimes cups aren't available, so those Amazon boxes that your holiday purchases arrived in may have to do.

What about gloves, mailing sleeves, and Crown Royal bags?

But do these "hacks" even work? I talked to my friend Tony Bertucci with Bertucci Bros. Plumbing in New Orleans who has spent a good part of the last week giving out advice to his community and throughout Louisiana in preparation for the below-freezing conditions.

As a plumber, Bertucci usually handles issues that arise AFTER things become a problem, and more times than not, those issues could have been avoided with the smallest amount of preparation. Tony actually posted a very thorough and informative list of tips on his Facebook page ahead of the freezing temps that moved into Louisiana just before the Christmas holiday.

So, what about the hacks? Well, Bertucci laughed at the Whataburger cup, but when it comes to the majority of these hacks, the one thing to keep in mind is safety and whether or not you're putting yourself at risk of creating a bigger problem by trying out something you saw going viral on Facebook.

It's always best to seek advice from a professional or at least hit Google to see some of the well-documented ways to stay safe and prepared during freezing temperatures or for whatever extreme weather may embark upon our great state of Louisiana.

Do you have any proven hacks that have kept your property protected and your family warm?

If so, share them with us, and stay safe out there!

LOOK: The most expensive weather and climate disasters in recent decades

Stacker ranked the most expensive climate disasters by the billions since 1980 by the total cost of all damages, adjusted for inflation, based on 2021 data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The list starts with Hurricane Sally, which caused $7.3 billion in damages in 2020, and ends with a devastating 2005 hurricane that caused $170 billion in damage and killed at least 1,833 people. Keep reading to discover the 50 of the most expensive climate disasters in recent decades in the U.S.

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