4 ways to prepare technology for hurricane season
Hurricane season is here. Following a record-breaking 2020 season, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts yet another equally — if not, more — active hurricane season this year with at least 13 to 20 named storms.
Hurricanes can cause major damage to homes, businesses and critical communications infrastructure. Storms can knock out cable and fiber connections, as well as cell towers, making it difficult to receive emergency updates, track community response, and access critical financial and health information. While it is hard to know where and when a hurricane may strike, residents and businesses in disaster-prone areas can weather the storm with a few simple steps. Here is what you can do:
1. Protect your data: Electronic devices store a tremendous amount of vital personal and business information. A best practice any time of the year, but particularly in advance of severe weather, is to back up your data to the cloud so it is safe, secure and easily accessible whenever or wherever you need it. Depending on the device, you can even set a reminder that enables it to upload your data automatically to the cloud on a regular basis.
2. Preserve battery power: Make sure your devices are fully charged at all times. Consider purchasing portable power banks so you can charge your devices even if the power is out. To preserve existing battery life, keep screens in low-light mode and close out any nonessential apps. You may also want to consider investing in a standalone generator that kicks in when the power goes out.
3. Pre-download emergency information: In the wake of natural disasters, receiving emergency information in real time is critical. Emergency-notification mobile apps, such as those from the American Red Cross and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, offer real-time weather updates, disaster assistance, safety preparation, recovery advice and more. Download these apps and local government websites so you can access them quickly in an emergency.
4. Safeguard your internet: For businesses, an internet outage can hinder payment processing, security and communication with employees, customers and vendors. Consider an internet service that is less susceptible to storm damage — such as satellite internet — for a primary or backup service.
Award-winning satellite internet provider HughesNet connects rural communities that fiber and cable providers do not reach. Transmitting from space, satellite internet is less susceptible to storm damage than land-based services, reliably connecting millions of users to the internet.
Plus, HughesNet offers a satellite backup service for small businesses that takes over when land-based connections are damaged, keeping operations running seamlessly during unexpected outages. With its Automatic Failover Router, HughesNet Internet Continuity automatically switches to satellite internet whenever the primary service goes down — protecting businesses against costly downtime.
While it is hard to predict where the next hurricane will hit, you can control how you prepare and respond. For residents and business owners in storm-prone regions, prepping your tech this hurricane season is the best thing you can do to protect yourself, your loved ones and your livelihood — no matter what storms might come your way.