The hurricane season has been quiet. Ida has missed us except for some windy and rainy days. Whenever storms threaten, your computer deserves some attention.
The Internet provides easy access to hurricane tracking and preparation advice. To protect your computer from the effects of a storm, back up files, protect against power surges and consider a long-life battery for laptop use in an extended power outage.
Hurricane tracking information can be found at several sites. The National Hurricane Center’s Web address is www.nhc.noaa.gov/. The Weather Channel tracks hurricanes at: www.weather.com/newscenter/hurricanecentral/. Other sites include Stormpulse.com and www.wunderground.com/tropical/. These sites are updated several times a day with specifics on location and strength of tropical storms.
Good storm preparedness readies us for the strong winds, but also anticipates several days without electricity. Even if your home remains undamaged, a single destructive event in your area could leave you without power, possibly without clean running water. Tips on storm preparation can be found at The National Hurricane Center: www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/intro.shtml, at the FEMA Web site: www.fema.gov/hazard/hurricane/index.shtm and at www.floridadisaster.org.
While you’re busy searching the Web, remember that computers must be readied for severe weather, too. The first priority is to back up important files by saving them to a flashdrive, disk or online data storage. Files that change regularly should be backed up regularly. Extremely important back-ups should be stored at a separate location.
Minimal computer protection against storm damage is a surge protector. No device can stand up to the force of a lightning strike, but a surge protector can guard against damage from power surges, especially following outages. If possible, unplug electronic devices during a storm to avoid damage from lightning. Surge protectors need to be replaced periodically. Like bicycle helmets, if they take a big hit, their integrity is compromised.
Before a storm approaches, consider purchasing a long-life battery for laptop use during an extended power outage. While normal laptop batteries provide one to three hours of life, extended life batteries power for four to five hours or more (depending on type of use. In the event of a long-term outage, the battery would need to be recharged by generator or through a car AC adapter.
So make good use of the Internet as you watch and prepare for a storm. Prepare your computer by backing up files, using surge protectors and having ample battery power in case of a long term outage.
And lastly, be thankful for a quiet hurricane season.
Patty Harshbarger, the owner of Computer Renaissance in Bradenton, can be reached at patty@cr-bradenton.com or (941) 753-8277.
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