How to Keep IT Up and Running During a Disaster

The United States experienced 28 disasters, including storms, flooding, tornadoes and a wildfire, that cost more than a billion dollars each in 2023, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). And those were only the most expensive, weather-related events in one country. Around the world, natural disasters, including non-weather-related phenomena such as earthquakes and tsunamis, wreak havoc on human life and on infrastructure — including the IT that keeps life in the digital age running smoothly.  

While the devastation caused by massive events understandably captures headlines, even relatively minor natural disasters such as large storms can affect IT operations. A 2024 report found that 52% of data center outages were the result of power failures. In the last decade, 83% of major power outages were weather-related. Even relatively minor storms can take out power lines. 

Fourteen percent of respondents surveyed for InformationWeek's 2024 Cyber Resilience Strategy Report said that their network accessibility had been disrupted by severe weather or a natural disaster. Sixteen percent ranked natural disasters as the single most significant event they had experienced. 

Some businesses affected by natural disasters don't survive in the first place: according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, 43% of businesses never reopen and almost a third go out of business within two years. Loss of IT accessibility for nine days or more typically results in bankruptcy within one year.  

Related:BCDR Basics: A Quick Reference Guide for Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery

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