Hurricane season IT guide
Do the big work before June 1, and the last 72 hours before a storm become a short checklist.
Checklist · Hurricanes and power
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.
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72 hours
Get ready
- Confirm last night's backup ran (ask IT if unsure)
- Laptops, chargers and hotspots are working
- Print the emergency contact sheet
- Draft the out-of-office message, voicemail greeting and website notice
48 hours
Take work home
- Laptops go home with staff
- Charge phones and battery packs
- Test working from home: email, files, phones
- Photograph equipment and how it's connected
24 hours
Close up
- Run a final backup
- Shut down computers and servers properly
- Unplug everything from the wall, including battery backups
- Raise equipment off the floor, away from windows
Last one out
Lock down
- Cover equipment with plastic sheeting or bags
- Forward the main phone line to a cell phone
- Turn on out-of-office and the website notice
- Lock the equipment closet
Who's doing what
Checks the backup
Forwards the phones
Posts the website notice
Shuts down and unplugs
Last one out
Staff updates by
Hurricanes and power
More printables like this
After the storm: getting back online
Safety first, equipment second. Switching on too soon turns storm damage into lost data.
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.
Questions about anything in here?
Our team helps local businesses with exactly this every day. A 15-minute call is free.