In addition to being our outdoor season, summer is the season in the Northeast for severe storms and lightning strikes. It’s time to make sure your safety nets are strong.

First, remember that heat kills electronics, so don’t leave your computers, devices, and cameras in hot cars if at all possible, and don’t leave them exposed to hot sunlight anywhere. If you can put them in a shady spot and maybe insulate the area where you store them to keep off some heat, that will help. Covering your windshield with a heat reflector will also help.

And if you’re on the beach, protect your electronics from the sand as well as from the heat and water. You can find water-tight bags of all sizes for your electronics in stores that sell outdoor equipment.

Have all your data backed up – preferably in multiple locations – and know how to restore lost data from all of them. Data backup is different from data storage. Backups have built-in routines to restore your file structures. Storage systems just keep your files; you’ll need to manually reconstruct your file system if you need to pull everything from a file storage site. It’s an important difference if a lightning strike or power surge fries the innards of a computer or server. We have several backup options available for offices and individuals and can work with you to find the most cost-effective solution.

By the way, lightning strikes and power surges can affect anything electronic, such as TVs, routers, microwaves, ovens, and refrigerators.

You can protect your electronics with surge protectors. They most commonly come in the form of power strips, but you can find ones that plug directly into the electric outlet to protect anywhere from one to six devices. Single-device surge protectors are ideal for major appliances.

Having a battery backup – with built-in surge protection – gives you the opportunity to quickly save whatever files you’re working on and get them to your backup site when the power goes out. While they can offer up to two hours of emergency power, they’re not really designed for long-term use. If you absolutely must continue to work during a power outage, we recommend you have a generator installed to cover your offices or at least your home office. Whole-house generators are not cheap, but they could pay themselves back pretty quickly when you calculate the benefits of being able to work and protect food in your refrigerators and freezers. If you can install a generator fueled by natural gas, you won’t need to worry about getting gasoline.

We can answer any questions you have about being weather-ready this summer and help you select and configure the best backup plan for your office or home needs. Call us – 973-433-6676 – or email us to set up a time to talk.