Houston Hurricane Season IT Prep — Protecting Your Business | HCRE
Hurricane season IT prep for Houston businesses: backup strategy, surge protection, cloud failover, on-site UPS sizing. Practical checklist from certified Houston technicians.
Houston Computer Repair Experts6430 Richmond Ave Unit 105, Houston, TX 77057
Phone: 713-975-1524
Hours: Mon–Fri 10 AM–7 PM · Sat 11 AM–5 PM · Sun closed
Free diagnostics · No fix, no fee · Walk-ins welcome
Services
- Computer Repair — from $79
- Apple & Mac Repair — from $79
- PC & Windows Repair — from $79
- Virus & Malware Removal — from $99
- Data Recovery — from $99
- Mac & PC Upgrades — from $49
- Business IT Support — from $99/month
- Network Wiring & Fiber Optic
- Network Setup & WiFi
- Security Cameras & CCTV
- AV & Low Voltage
- On-Site Service
- Office Buildouts & Moves
Frequently asked questions
When does Houston hurricane season actually start?
The Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30 each year, with peak storm activity in August and September. Houston-specific risk is highest from late August through October. Most named storms that have affected Houston historically formed within those windows. Five-to-six-week prep before June 1 is the standard recommendation for small businesses.
What is the single most important hurricane prep step for a small business?
Verified, off-site cloud backups. After Harvey, the businesses that recovered fastest were the ones with working cloud backups they had tested before the storm. Equipment can be replaced in days. Lost customer data, accounting records, and contracts often cannot be recreated. Spend the first hour of prep verifying your backup actually restores files to a different machine.
Is a power strip enough surge protection during a hurricane?
No. Standard power strips have minimal surge protection that degrades over time, and most Houston offices have strips that are years past their useful life. Hurricane prep requires UPS battery backups on critical equipment (servers, POS, computers), surge-rated power strips on everything else, and ideally a panel-mounted whole-building surge protector for older buildings or industrial-corridor offices.
Should I unplug my computers and servers before a hurricane hits Houston?
Yes — completely unplugged from the wall, not just powered off. Power surges travel through grounded equipment that is still plugged in. The standard playbook is to power down and physically unplug servers, NAS units, copiers, and printers 24 hours before expected landfall. Lift critical hardware to at least 4 feet off the floor and cover with plastic sheeting if your office has any flood risk.
How much does it cost to prepare a small Houston office for hurricane season?
A 10-person office can be fully prepared for $1,500-$3,500 in one-time costs (UPS units, surge protection, hardware replacements) plus $80-$200 per month in ongoing services (cloud backup, managed IT). That is significantly less than the typical post-storm recovery bill of $4,000+ in equipment and labor, before counting lost revenue during downtime.
Does HCRE do on-site hurricane prep audits for businesses?
Yes. Houston Computer Repair Experts offers one-time hurricane prep audits at $250-$500 depending on office size, and includes annual audits at no extra charge for managed IT clients on the $99/month plan. We come on-site, walk through the full prep checklist, fix what we can during the visit, and quote any equipment or services needed. Book before May 30 to lock in the full 5-week prep window.