Hurricane Sandy is predicted to be a "monster threat to the East Coast." Prepare your mission critical environments now with emergency server room cooling.
Before the Hurricane
Although a hurricane's path is unpredictable, there is ample time for those in the predicted path to prepare to weather the storm. The pre-storm preparation may help minimize property damage and as well as damage to mechanical and electrical systems -- the literal "engine" of all businesses. Check out this post for tips on protecting your air conditioner from a hurricane. FEMA has great resources for what to do before, during and after a hurricane.
For mission critical environments, server rooms and data centers, it's wise to have emergency air conditioners on site. If you do not own back-up air conditioners, you can rent emergency spot coolers to have on site. Many companies will have a fee structure with a "stand by" rate that is charged so the units are in place in case they are needed. A higher rental rate is charged if the units are actually used.
After the Hurricane
Once you've done all you can to protect your mechanical systems from a hurricane you need to make plans for what will happen once the storm has passed. Once any the threat of damage to life or property has passed, here's where you start.
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Nothing runs without POWER! It's likely you won't have utility power if you are in the direct path of the storm. If your building has back-up emergency power, make sure it comes online.
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Mechanical systems are often outside the building so they are prone to damage from storms. Your air conditioner may not even be there anymore or may be too damaged to use. Be sure to check out the mechanical systems BEFORE you attempt to bring them back online.
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Once you have power, run only mission critical computer equipment to minimize your power requirement and the need for server room cooling. Portable spot coolers can be used to keep the server room cool and the data centers up and running. These units sit inside the facility so you'll be safe from further weather damage.
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Not sure what you'll need for emergency back-up cooling? Here are resources for an emergency cooling plan.
Let's be honest. We have absolutely no control over how destructive any hurricane will be but the best and fastest plan to recover quickly is PREPARATION. Download this checklist to make sure you'll be ready for a cooling emergency.
