As many of you are aware, we have Hurricane Irma approaching South Florida, with an estimated arrival of early Friday evening:

NOAA – Hurricane Irma

With the possibility of getting hit by a severe storm, there are some critical tasks which can be done to protect your business data and equipment. Please read the following instructions and take action before the storm arrives. Our team will be standing by to provide specific advice and guidance, but physically protecting your equipment is the responsibility of your office staff.

Proactive steps for protecting your business data:

• If you have an automatic offsite backup with Complete Care:
  • We’ve got you covered! CCIT is double-checking all local and offsite backups prior to the storm.
• If you have an onsite-only backup, such as an external hard drive:
  • Please verify that the backup has completed for the day before ejecting and unplugging the drive and taking it to a safe location.
• If you’re not sure about your backup arrangements, please contact us and we’ll help you assess your situation.

Proactive steps for protecting computer equipment before the storm:

• Shut down and unplug all computers, monitors, servers, printers, phones, network equipment,  and any other IT equipment from power.
  • Please make a list of everything you unplug, we will be busy after the storm and can’t be everywhere right away to troubleshoot.
• All equipment should be raised at least 2-3 feet above floor level in case of flooding.
• All equipment should be moved well away from external windows, doors, etc. where water can be blown inside by wind.
• All exposed equipment should be covered by plastic garbage bags or waterproof tarps in case of roof leaks or broken windows on upper floors.

Please also take a moment to review the FPL Hurricane Preparedness Guide with your staff:
https://www.fpl.com/storm/home/prepare.html
https://www.fpl.com/storm/business/tips.html

After the storm:

• Once you return to the office, assess the electrical situation.
  • If power is intermittent, flickering, or not reliable after the storm, do not plug equipment back in. The surges and spikes in the electrical system can damage equipment and destroy your data even after the storm has passed. Wait until conditions stabilize.
  • Contact FPL, they can usually give you an estimate of how long until normal power is restored in your zip code.
• If any equipment came in contact with water, do not turn it on.
  • Contact CCIT to assess how to proceed.
• If your internet or phone service is out, contact us.
  • We will be working with the various service providers to monitor outages until they are resolved.
• If you need help, call us.
  • CCIT’s standard Help Desk will be operating during normal business hours, as long as our main or backup sites have power and internet.
  • If you are subscribed to our 24 / 7 / 365 Help Desk, we will be operating 100% as normal.
  • Our onsite technicians will not be available under Tropical Storm Watch/Warning or Hurricane Watch/Warning conditions. We will assess conditions once all warnings clear and resume onsite visits when safe travel is possible.
  • After the storm, we will be responding onsite based on the severity of your outage. Please be patient while we respond to emergencies caused by the storm.

Please be safe and careful during and after the hurricane. If you have any questions, please contact us at 954-908-3999 or info@completecareit.com and we’ll address them all.