NOAA’s updated 2026 Atlantic hurricane outlook favors a below-normal season. The agency projects 7 to 13 named storms, 2 to 6 hurricanes, and as many as 2 major hurricanes. It also expects most of the season’s activity to occur during August, September, and October.
That may sound reassuring, but a seasonal forecast cannot predict whether a particular community will be affected. NOAA specifically notes that hurricane landfalls cannot be forecast accurately weeks or months ahead.
For an Orlando-area business, it only takes one storm, severe thunderstorm, extended power outage, or internet failure to interrupt payroll, customer communication, scheduling, payments, and access to important files.
Many hurricane plans cover shutters, insurance documents, employee safety, and emergency supplies. Those steps matter, but the business may still be unable to operate if its technology has not been included.
Common problems after severe weather include:
A practical IT recovery plan answers a simple question: What does the business need to restore first, and how will that happen?
Make a short list of the technology required to perform essential work. Depending on the business, that may include Microsoft 365, accounting software, scheduling systems, customer records, payment processing, business phones, or industry-specific applications.
Assign each system a recovery priority. Customer communication and financial records may need to return quickly, while archived files could wait longer.
Do not assume everything is protected because employees use cloud applications.
Business information may also be stored in laptop folders, email archives, local databases, shared drives, scanner folders, or software that does not automatically copy its data elsewhere. Inventorying these locations helps reveal gaps before an outage.
Synchronization and backup are not always the same thing. A service that synchronizes changes may also synchronize an accidental deletion or damaged file.
Maintain protected copies of essential information outside the systems employees use every day. Access to backup administration should also be limited so a stolen employee account cannot easily reach and delete recovery copies.
A successful backup notification only confirms that a process ran. It does not prove that the correct files were included or that the information can be restored within a useful amount of time.
Choose a few representative files and applications, restore them to a safe test location, and confirm that they open correctly. Record how long the process takes and who is responsible for starting it.
Battery backup units can give routers, firewalls, switches, and other essential equipment time to shut down safely or continue operating through a brief interruption.
Confirm that batteries are still healthy and that the correct equipment is connected. A battery unit that has not been tested in several years may provide far less runtime than expected.
Decide in advance whether employees will work remotely, move to another location, or wait until the office reopens.
Test remote access before a storm approaches. Employees should know which approved devices and applications to use, how to reach support, and how to report a lost device or suspicious sign-in. Emergency access should not require sharing passwords or disabling security controls.
Document contact information for the internet provider, phone provider, software vendors, insurance representative, building manager, and IT support team. Keep a copy somewhere employees can reach when the office network is unavailable.
Name the person who can authorize equipment replacement, remote work, data recovery, and communications with employees or customers. Clear authority prevents delays during a stressful situation.
NOAA’s quieter seasonal forecast is welcome news, but it should not determine whether a business prepares. The strongest recovery plans are built during an ordinary workweek, when systems can be tested calmly and gaps can be fixed without an approaching storm.
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