Hurricane season IT guide
Do the big work before June 1, and the last 72 hours before a storm become a short checklist.
Guide · Hurricanes and power
Power outages and battery backups
Summer storms knock the power out often here. A battery backup buys time to shut down safely, not hours of work.
Free to print and share
2 pages, US Letter, in color. Tick the boxes and type on the lines right in your browser or PDF reader, then save or print it.
Filling in online works in Chrome, Edge, Safari and Adobe Reader. Your answers stay on your computer.
Want all 34? Get the whole pack by email or browse the library.
What's inside
The full text
What a battery backup does
A battery backup (a UPS) sits between the wall and your equipment. When power drops or flickers, it keeps things running for a few minutes, smooths out surges, and gives servers time to shut down properly instead of crashing.
Does
Bridges blinks
Keeps you running through flickers and short drops.
Does
Safe shutdown
Gives servers time to close files cleanly.
Doesn't
Run all day
Most last 5 to 20 minutes, not hours.
What should be on one
- Servers and storage
- Firewall and internet modem
- Network switches
- Phone system equipment
- Computers that can't lose work
- Not printers or space heaters
Keep them working
- Batteries wear out every 3 to 5 years. Write the install date on a label
- A beeping battery backup is asking for help. Tell IT, don't unplug it
- Servers should be set to shut down on their own when the battery runs low
- Don't plug a battery backup into a power strip, or a power strip into it
Generators
- Portable generator power can be rough. Keep battery backups between it and your equipment.
- Never run a generator indoors or near open windows.
- Have an electrician install a transfer switch. Never plug a generator into a wall outlet.
When the power goes out
- 1
Save your work and close files.
The battery is a countdown, not a power plant.
- 2
Shut down computers you don't need.
That leaves more battery for the server and network.
- 3
Out longer than 10 minutes?
Shut down servers properly, or ask IT to do it.
- 4
Power back on?
Wait a few minutes for it to settle before turning things back on.
Not sure how long yours will last?
Ask IT to check the batteries and set servers to shut down safely on their own.
Hurricanes and power
More printables like this
Storm coming: 72-hour IT checklist
A named storm is headed our way. Work down this page so your business can run from anywhere and reopen fast.
After the storm: getting back online
Safety first, equipment second. Switching on too soon turns storm damage into lost data.
Questions about anything in here?
Our team helps local businesses with exactly this every day. A 15-minute call is free.