This month marks the start of the Atlantic Hurricane season. In fact, from June 1st to November 30th, our little region of the world is prone to hurricanes that form off the coast of Africa and work their way up the coastline toward New England or other locations such as the southern states or the Gulf of Mexico.
Learning From Last Season
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, last year’s Atlantic Hurricane Season (2022) “saw three hurricane landfalls along the coast of the U.S. mainland - Hurricane Ian, Fiona, and Nicole.” Atlantic hurricanes seem to be increasing in intensity and size. For instance, Hurricane Ian made landfall first as a Category 4 storm in Cayo Costa, Florida, and again as a Category 1 in Georgetown, South Carolina. As a Cat4 with 150 mph maximum sustained winds, Hurricane Ian tied for the fifth-strongest hurricane ever to make landfall in the U.S. Hurricane Nicole made landfall as a Category 1 in North Hutchinson Island, Florida. Hurricane Fiona made landfall outside of the mainland U.S. as a Category 1 near Punta Tocon, Puerto Rico. Nicole and Fiona may have brought a lower intensity of winds but the flooding was catastrophic in the days following landfall.
What Is Your Disaster Recovery Plan?
Knowing that hurricanes can be disastrous is one thing, planning in advance for that disaster as an IT company or a business that relies on technology and data to do business is another thing. Now is the time to plan. Consider a few questions regarding your backup plan and your disaster recovery plan.
What is your organization’s risk assessment?
Does your organization have a backup plan?
How many people in your office know this plan?
When was the last time they reviewed the plan?
Has the plan been practiced or has the workforce been trained on what to do in the event of loss of power, flooding, or catastrophic loss of data?
Proactive Steps for Hurricane Season
Yes, hurricane season comes around every year. That means that every year, your team should be reviewing the plan or adjusting the plan based on your IT department or IT Managed Support Company’s guidance. Here are a few suggestions to prepare for this year.
Review the U.S. Government Hurricane Toolkit Guide. It’s been a while since New England has seen a direct hit but even flooding rains and high winds can mean a loss of power or street flooding that every business should be prepared for.
Review Backup procedures.
Review the Disaster Recovery Plan.
Role-play a Disaster Recovery Plan in real-time to see where holes and vulnerabilities lay.
Conduct employee training regarding what to do if the organization is impacted by a disaster. For instance, can the workforce work from home or head to another location? What plans are set up for remote work if it is deemed necessary?
When was the last time your business reviewed its backup plan and disaster recovery plan? Now is as good a time as ever to review the risks, evaluate the plan, adjust it, and retrain your employees. Talk to our team today about Backups and Disaster Recovery Plans as a Service.
What Is Your Disaster Recovery Plan? 
What Is Your Disaster Recovery Plan?