When storm clouds gather, the most resilient businesses aren’t scrambling for a plan — they already have one. As we move into storm season, organizations must take proactive steps to protect their digital and physical assets. Power outages, flooding, and network disruptions can cause more than temporary inconvenience — they can grind your operations to a halt and lead to data loss, compliance risks, and revenue impact.
In this guide, we’ll break down how to prepare for storm season with a smart combination of backup, disaster recovery (DR), and business continuity (BC) strategies.
1. Understand the Differences: Backup vs Disaster Recovery vs Business Continuity
Before diving into preparation, it’s critical to clarify what each of these terms means:
- Backup: The regular copying of data to a secure location so that it can be restored if lost or damaged. Think of it as your safety net.
- Disaster Recovery (DR): The broader process of restoring IT systems, applications, and data after a major disruption or disaster.
- Business Continuity (BC): A holistic approach that ensures critical business operations can continue during and after a disaster — not just restoring data, but keeping services and people moving.
Each component is essential. Backup is the “what,” DR is the “how,” and BC is the “why.”
2. Secure and Automate Data Backups
During a storm, power outages and hardware failure are common. To reduce risk:
- Automate backups: Daily or even hourly backups reduce the potential for data loss.
- Use 3-2-1 backup rule: Keep 3 copies of your data — 2 onsite on different devices and 1 offsite (preferably in the cloud).
- Test restorations: A backup isn’t useful unless you can restore it quickly and completely. Conduct quarterly tests.
- Encrypt everything: Ensure data is protected in transit and at rest.
Cloud backup services are especially useful in storm season, as they are not dependent on your local infrastructure.
3. Develop a Disaster Recovery (DR) Plan
A solid DR plan is your playbook when the worst happens. Your DR plan should include:
- Risk Assessment: Identify which natural disasters you’re most likely to face (e.g., hurricanes, flooding, power outages).
- RTO & RPO targets:
- RTO (Recovery Time Objective): How quickly must systems be restored?
- RPO (Recovery Point Objective): How much data can you afford to lose?
- System Inventory: Maintain documentation of all critical hardware, software, and dependencies.
- Emergency Contact Tree: Include IT vendors, cloud providers, utilities, and internal stakeholders.
- Runbooks: Step-by-step guides for restoring specific systems or services.
Run frequent simulations to validate your plan and update it as your tech stack evolves.
4. Create a Business Continuity Plan (BCP)
A BCP goes beyond IT — it’s about how to keep your entire organization operational. Key elements include:
- Remote Work Readiness: Ensure staff can work remotely during outages. This includes secure VPNs, cloud collaboration tools, and remote access protocols.
- Communication Plans: How will you communicate with staff, customers, and partners during and after a disaster? Use redundant channels — email, SMS alerts, VoIP hotlines.
- Facility Planning: Have contingencies in place for relocation or remote operation if your main office is compromised.
- Critical Process Identification: Map out which business processes must stay online, and which can pause.
A BCP ensures continuity of revenue, customer support, and internal coordination even in challenging conditions.
5. Leverage Cloud Infrastructure
Cloud computing adds another layer of protection and flexibility during storm season:
- Cloud-based backups are geographically redundant and protected from local weather events.
- SaaS tools ensure teams can collaborate remotely.
- Cloud failover capabilities mean traffic can reroute automatically if your primary server goes down.
Work with a Managed Service Provider (MSP) to ensure your cloud strategy is aligned with your DR/BCP goals.
6. Test, Train, and Review
Preparation means nothing without testing and training:
- Conduct tabletop exercises simulating a weather-related event.
- Train staff on emergency procedures, including accessing backups and initiating continuity protocols.
- Review plans annually, or whenever major changes happen in your infrastructure or organizational structure.
Ensure everyone — not just IT — knows their role when the storm hits.
Final Checklist: Is Your Business Storm-Ready?
- Automated, secure backups with offsite/cloud redundancy
- Tested disaster recovery plan with clear RTO and RPO
- A business continuity plan covering operations, people, and communication
- Cloud infrastructure and remote work capabilities
- Training and testing for staff across departments
Be Ready Before the Storm Hits
Storm season doesn’t have to be a season of uncertainty. With the right mix of backup, disaster recovery, and business continuity strategies, your business can weather any storm — and emerge stronger.
Need help building or testing your DR/BC strategy? Our experts at Tolar Systems can guide you every step of the way. Let’s make sure your business stays secure and connected, no matter what the skies bring.
