Sounds like you had some unexpected excitement over the holidays. Glad you, Mick, and y'all made it through alright for the most part. Sympathies to the family of the woman who didn't make it. RIP.
Adaptations for next time from a friend who used to live in Dixie Alley. Keep in mind or discard as suits you.
Most important thing to make it through in a hot humid climate without power and air conditioning unfrazzled is going to be rest and hydration. You can pull your mattresses up (which retain heat) and make a rope bed out of the frame and some Bungie cord. You can use regular rope, but I recommend Bungie cord as it has more give. Alternately, if you have the space, framed hammocks. These will let you get more air to skin contact which will help cool you.
Siesta during the hot part of the day, even if you're not tired. Resting will lower your body temp.
Fruits, smoothies, and uncooked dinners as much as you can. Don't heat up the house. If you have to cook, do so outside. Solar ovens, rocket stoves/camping stoves, and grills.
Invest in a fan that doesn't require electricity if you can. You can also adapt it to a swam cooler but I readily admit those are more effective in a more arid climate.
Conversely, if you have the power from battery banks or a generator, running a dehumidifyer will make the heat more tolerable too, especially at night.
Do no energentic or athletic work from mid morning until twilight if you can help it.
Strip down to a bathing suit and a Tshirt. Board shorts. The garden hose is your friend. Don't hesitate to douse yourself.
Plenty of water.
Keep some Pedialytes in stock. They're for when you start feeling heat wonky. Alternately, sweet tea or kosher cokes. Getting overheated can mess with your bloodsugar and mimic a diabetic sugar crash episode. A sugared (real sugar, not corn syrup sweetened) will revive you quickly.
Slow down. Don't get in a hurry outside an actual emergency. It'll just heat you up unnecessarily.
Keep some ice and keep a bucket bath. You lose heat fastest from your head, feet, and hands. Periodically submerging any or all of those areas in an ice vath or water still cooled with ice will keep you cool. This one is especially good for older family members or very young children. Wet a kerchief or bandana and drape over head or back of neck.
Also, most cooked food will be okay to eat without refrigerarion for 3 to 5 days as long as it's been properly kept from bugs and covered to reduce mild growth. People used to not have refrigeration and ate leftovers all the time. Start with your perishables like dairy, then go to cooked, then go to canned/bagged. Again, cook as little as you can get away with.
Think about ways to get air circulating through the house. Houses used to be designed for this, but there are means now.
If you have a basement, relicate there when the power goes, it'll be cooler.
Okay. That's it, I guess. Glad you made it.
