Hurricane Help

Hurricane Preparations for Information Technology

 

 

Pre-Hurricane Preparations                                              Disaster Recovery Planning

 

Encrypt your vital records. Recent glitches in the transport of backup tapes data have been on the rise. In the hectic hours surrounding a hurricane warning, the potential for tape loss may increase. Decide what should be located at the hot site and map system interdependencies -- understand how infrastructure components work together and depend on each other in a remote location. Verify that all data connections are intact and working properly, and test the ability of your secondary team members to work remotely.

Verify the operation of the standby generator. Check that its fuel tank is full and that the fuel is uncontaminated. This should be done on a regular basis by the facility managers, but follow up with them. Check in with outside disaster recovery vendors or suppliers; notify them of any changes in your situation or needs. Make sure the building's grounds crew carefully trims all trees so they don't pose a threat to the facility. Ideally, there will be no trees close enough to the building to cause direct damage.

Contact your insurance carrier and review your policy. Ensure that copies of updated insurance papers are included in your disaster supplies -- and are stored at your hot site for protection.

After riding out the storm, IT pros will need to see what they can salvage. What's the plan for taking what's left and making something out of it?  Water is the main culprit in a hurricane, and if you don't move on salvage fast, your chances aren't very good for anything left behind.  Have you ever seen a computer with water in it? It's not pretty, I've never seen computer gear really come back after a dousing.

 

HURRICANE-HELP

BEFORE-THE-STORM

DURING-THE-STORM

AFTER-THE-STORM

IT PROFESSIONALS

HOME

PREPARE

SURVIVAL-TIPS

ITS OVER - WHAT NOW?

IT-PREPARATIONS

 DEFINITIONS

LESSONS-LEARNED

 

THE-COMING-DAYS

ABOUT-HOT-SITES

 ABOUT-US

DISASTER KIT

 

AGENCIES-THAT-HELP

IT-LESSONS-FROM-KATRINA

 

 

 

HELP-COPING

COMPUTER-RECOVERY