Monica Laliberte

2 weeks ago | wral.com | Jenn Smith |Monica Laliberte

Taking photos and video with a camera or cellphone to catalog every item in your home may seem like a hassle, but it could save you a lot of trouble if disaster strikes. In April 2011, when a tornado blasted through Raleigh, Joe Stiles lost his family's home and a lifetime of memories. "The power went out, and I heard the whooshing on the side of the house and I thought, 'Oh no,'" Stiles said. "I turned and ran, and my wife jumped on top of the kids, and I jumped on top of her.

Dec 6, 2023 | wral.com | Monica Laliberte |Sydney Franklin |Jenn Smith |Richard Adkins

Don’t let your guard down. Porch pirates are waiting to help themselves to your gifts. One way to protect your online purchases is a secure package delivery box. “Just as the name sounds, it’s a big box that you sit on your porch and your delivery people can drop your packages into," said Daniel Wroclawski with Consumer Reports. It works similar to USPS corner mailboxes. The delivery person drops the package in a secure door, it drops into a locked box, and you use a key to unlock the lock box.