Texas Businesses: Weather the Storm with Disaster Recovery Planning in the Wake of Hurricane Beryl - Bridgehead IT

Hurricane Beryl’s recent landfall on the Texas coast, causing widespread power outages impacting over 2.5 million homes and businesses according to PowerOutage.us, underscores the critical need for disaster recovery planning (DRP). A robust DRP is your shield against disruptions, ensuring business continuity even when the power goes out. 

In this “Weathering the Storm” part two, click here for part one, we’ll dive into more details on the Texas power outage map as we learn more about the effects from Hurricane Beryl on the Texas coastal cities. The impact resulted in closed shipping ports, evacuations of offshore production sites, and grounded flights.  

Houston, the future home of Bridgehead IT’s 2^nd office, is where many U.S. energy companies are headquartered alongside other counties in southeastern Texas. These areas are under flash-flood warnings with 12 inches of rain in some areas. Increasing power outages resulted from 80+ mph winds with the dangerous weather moving northeastward toward Texarkana and Missouri.  

Building a Strong Defense Against Power Outages: 

A comprehensive DRP goes beyond technology. It requires a thorough assessment of your vulnerabilities, specifically regarding power outages. Whether you manage your IT in-house or work with a vendor, here are key elements for a strong DRP: 

• Vulnerability Assessment: Evaluate your IT infrastructure, data sensitivity, compliance needs, and budget. This helps identify the optimal DR approach to protect your business from power outages. 
   

• Tailored Recovery Objectives: Establish clear goals (RTOs and RPOs) for how quickly you need to recover data and applications after a power outage. 
   

• Future-Proofing: DRPs need to be adaptable and scalable. Consider future needs and potential threats, like extreme weather events, to ensure your plan remains effective. 

The Importance of Disaster Recovery Planning: 

A well-designed DRP offers several critical benefits: 

• Minimize Downtime: Swift recovery from power outages minimizes business losses and keeps operations running smoothly. 
   

• Protect Critical Data: DRP safeguards your valuable data from loss or damage during a power outage or other disaster. 
   

• Ensures Business Continuity: A proactive DRP allows you to maintain business continuity even when faced with unforeseen challenges. 

Resources for Texas Businesses to Stay Informed: 

• Bridgehead IT Blog: Offers insights on disaster recovery best practices and current trends. (https://www.bridgeheadit.com/services/24-7-technology-operations/)  
   

• Texas Emergency Management: (https://tdem.texas.gov/)  
   

• Texas Power Outage Maps: (https://poweroutage.us/area/state/texas) 
  (https://www.oncor.com/content/oncorwww/us/en/home/outage-weather.html#:~:text=You%20can%20report%20a%20power,OUT%20to%2066267%20(ONCOR). 
   

• National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST): (https://csrc.nist.gov/glossary/term/disaster_recovery_plan) 

Additional Tips for Texas Businesses: 

• Consider a DR Specialist: Explore how a DRP vendor can help you develop and implement a customized plan. 
   

• Regular Backups: Back up critical data to a secure offsite location to ensure data recovery after a power outage. 
   

• Employee Training: Train your team on the DRP so everyone knows their roles and responsibilities during a power outage. 
   

• DRP Testing: Regularly test your DRP to identify and address any weaknesses before an actual outage occurs. 

A comprehensive DRP is an essential investment for all Texas businesses. Don’t wait for the next power outage to disrupt your operations – act today to protect your business from power outages and ensure business continuity! 

If you sustained property damage because of Hurricane Beryl, submit an online damage report to Texas Division of Emergency Management here. Be sure to share this information to connect impacted Texans with resources and services.