Image of a really bad storm with thunder and lightning

What to Do With Computers During Bad Weather

May 17, 2018

Summer storms are bound to knock out power and internet at least once during the season. Lightning strikes and power surges can easily damage your technology. Protect your valuable equipment and stay one step ahead of the storm with these tips covering what to do with your technology during bad weather.

Unplug devices

If you know strong weather is coming your way, powering down and unplugging your devices should be your first step. Lightning strikes can travel through power lines as well as cables, so you should unplug your computer from its power source, as well as unplug all lines and cables, to protect your computer as much as possible. Make sure you properly shut down your computer before unplugging it, as cutting the power before the computer shuts down can cause data loss.

Back up data

If you are a medical or dental office, you should already have a data back up plan in place for HIPAA compliance reasons. If you don’t, you should consider one. DTC offers a few different disaster recovery and back up solutions to keep your data safe and protected in the event of a data loss or disaster, and get you back up in running in as little time as possible. If your office gets hit by lightning or floods and your server gets destroyed, you will be happy to have a secure back up of your data that you can easily restore.

Use a UPS device

A UPS (uninterruptible power supply), or battery backup, is a device that provides emergency power when the main power source fails. Most devices that are commonly used in offices are only capable of providing emergency power for a few minutes; just enough time to start up a generator or properly shut down your equipment. These devices are more robust than a simple surge protector and are highly recommended to keep your equipment safe. Whether it’s a power flicker or complete power loss, a UPS will buy you a few minutes of time to limit data loss and damage to the technology.

Keep equipment off floor

If you are in an area that is prone to flooding, or a hurricane or torrential rain storm is headed your way, move your computers and other devices off of the floor to protect them from any damage from flooding. Water damage to technical equipment can be severe, and simply moving your equipment from underneath your desk to on top of your desk can be the difference between having to buy a new computer or not.

Once the weather has passed, take care to check your equipment and cables for any signs of damage. If everything looks untouched, plug your devices back in and power them on. If you have found that your equipment has been damaged, DTC can help.

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