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THE SKINNY

• Are you Hurricane Prepped?

• Summer Jobs in Southshore

• You’re Gonna Need a Bigger Battery

Featured Story

Southshore Hurricane Prep Starts Today

From insurance policies to evacuation routes, here’s what residents should handle before storm season ramps up

Hurricane season officially begins June 1, and if the last few years taught Southshore residents anything, it’s that waiting until a storm is already in the Gulf is usually too late. So before shelves get wiped out and gas lines wrap around the block, now is the time to start preparing.

Yes, you still need the basics: bottled water, batteries, flashlights, nonperishable food, medications, pet supplies, and generators if possible. But one of the biggest things residents should be checking right now is insurance.

A lot of homeowners don’t realize what their policy actually covers until after damage happens. Review your hurricane deductibles, flood coverage, roof coverage limitations, and whether your policy requires inspections or updated documentation. Because flood damage and wind damage are often treated very differently.

Speaking of roofs, now is also the time to schedule inspections if you’ve had concerns. Loose shingles, aging roofs, clogged gutters, damaged soffits, and weak tree limbs can all become major problems once summer storms intensify. If you need a good roofer, we know a guy. Just scroll up 😃

But it doesn’t stop there. Plumbing, electrical work, AC maintenance… these are all things you want to stay ahead of before storms start rolling in.

And don’t forget, evacuation routes and zones were updated this year. It’s always better to have a plan and not need it than to need it and not have one.

Another thing many residents forget? Documents.

Keep digital and physical copies of insurance paperwork, IDs, birth certificates, medical information, and important phone numbers somewhere secure and easy to access.

And maybe most importantly, don’t assume “it won’t happen this year.”

Storm preparation doesn’t guarantee things won’t go wrong, but it does give you a much better chance of avoiding panic when everyone else suddenly realizes they should’ve prepared earlier.

Monday Money Minute

A first paycheck may be one of the most important financial lessons a teenager ever learns

There’s nothing like summertime in Florida. Sun, beaches, and beautiful sunsets strung together by days that somehow seem endless. But there’s another benefit to summer that often gets overlooked, and for teens, it might be one of the most important opportunities of the year.

Summer jobs.

For generations, summer jobs have been a rite of passage. And while the job market has changed over time, there are still plenty of places across Southshore where teens can get valuable work experience and stash a few bucks in their pockets before the next school year rolls around.

And honestly, getting that first paycheck teaches lessons school sometimes can’t. Because while school teaches a lot of things, learning how money actually works usually starts the moment a teenager gets paid and realizes taxes exist.

Some places already hiring and offering great summer opportunities for teens include The Lagoon in Wimauma, the YMCA, AMC Theatres, Xscape Theatres, Culver’s, and Starbucks.

A first job teaches responsibility, time management, communication skills, customer service, and maybe most importantly, the relationship between time and money. Suddenly, that quick Starbucks run or random online purchase hits a little differently when you understand how many hours you had to work to pay for it.And in today’s world, where financial literacy feels more important than ever, those early lessons matter.

Learning how to budget, save money, manage spending habits, avoid unnecessary debt, and understand the basics of banking at a younger age can completely change someone’s long-term financial future. But beyond the money itself, summer jobs also help teens build confidence.

It introduces them to responsibility, professional environments, teamwork, and independence in a way that sticks with them long after summer ends. So if your teen has been thinking about getting their first job, this might be the perfect time to start looking. Because sometimes financial success starts with something as simple as learning what it feels like to earn your own money for the very first time.

Things to do

What’s Washing Up on The Shore This Week

Your Weekly What in the World

AI, electric vehicles, population growth, and extreme heat are all pushing the nation’s electrical system to its limits

The next major crisis in America might not arrive with a bang. It might arrive when you flip on the lights and nothing happens. Energy experts across the country are increasingly warning that the U.S. power grid is coming under massive strain as multiple high-demand technologies and industries begin colliding all at once.

For decades, America’s electrical grid was built around relatively predictable patterns of energy usage. But now, everything is changing at the same time. Artificial intelligence data centers are consuming enormous amounts of electricity. Electric vehicle adoption continues growing. Population growth across states like Florida and Texas is accelerating demand. And increasingly intense heat waves are driving air conditioning usage even higher.

The AI boom alone is becoming one of the largest new power consumers on Earth. Massive data centers require staggering amounts of electricity to operate and cool their systems, with some experts believing future AI expansion could rival the energy demands of entire cities. And it’s not just about generating more electricity.

The bigger concern is whether the grid itself can reliably handle and distribute that power during periods of peak demand. That’s where fears surrounding blackouts, rolling outages, and grid instability begin entering the conversation. States across the country are now racing to expand energy production, modernize aging infrastructure, and strengthen grid reliability before demand outpaces what the system was originally built to handle.

For Florida residents specifically, this story hits especially close to home. Extreme heat, rapid growth, hurricane vulnerability, and year-round air conditioning usage already place enormous pressure on the grid during summer months. And now, America’s energy future may depend on whether the system can evolve fast enough to keep up with the world being built around it.

Southshore Spotlight

Hands of Hope

Sickle Cell Disease impacts thousands of families across Florida, but organizations like Hands of Hope - Sickle Cell Awareness Foundation are working every day to make sure those families don’t face it alone.

Based right here in Tampa Bay, the organization focuses on raising awareness, supporting patients and families, and helping improve quality of life for those affected by Sickle Cell Disease through education, counseling, advocacy, screenings, and community outreach.

From assisting families with medical-related support to organizing community events and educational programs, Hands of Hope continues fighting to bring more visibility to a condition that often doesn’t receive enough public attention.

Locals helping locals. That’s what community is all about.

Nominate your local hero by emailing us at [email protected]

We Know a Guy…or Girl

Southshore Services

Need a painter? A plumber? Someone brave enough to tackle that lightbulb orbiting 30 feet above your living room? We’ve got you. And the best part, they’re all right here in our community.

Interested in joining the list? Shoot us an email to [email protected]

“Keep it Local!”

Foodies Only

Your Restaurant

New menu items, promos, specials, events- feature them here. This is the place to tell 30,000 readers in Southshore what you've got. Only 20 spots for the year. Claim yours today.

If you’ve got a restaurant, food truck, or even a lemonade stand, it could be featured here. Email us at [email protected]

Local Sports

Time for summer training and camps to get you at the top of your game during the offseason. 💪☀️

Stay tuned. 👀

Got news, events, or press releases that the Southshore needs to know about? Submit them here. (We’ll do our best to add press releases in our regular rotation.) If you’re looking to run an actual ad, go here instead.

Until next time,

Keep It Local.