It's Hurricane Season, Here's How I Protect My Computer from Power Outages and Surges

Has your power ever gone out for days (or weeks) at a time? Mine has, and I learned a lot during that time. Here's how I keep all of my technology safe when the power flashes or goes out completely due to crazy weather.

Every Device Is Plugged Into a Surge Protector

Growing up in Florida, every device that you cared about got plugged into a surge protector . This is something I still do to this day. Surge protectors are a great way to arrest a power surge coming into your devices, which can damage sensitive electronics like computers.

Surge protectors are so affordable these days that there's no reason not to use them. Most surge protectors give you extra outlets to plug things into as well as provide protection, so it's a win win situation.

Some surge protectors also come with "insurance," we'll call it. Basically, some surge protector companies will "guarantee" that a power surge won't damage your devices and they'll provide a policy to replace or repair those devices. Honestly, from what I've heard about these plans, it's more hassle than its worth to go through the surge protector company for reimbursement of damaged devices—but it is sometimes an option if you'd like to pursue it.

My Main Computer Is a Laptop That's Always Charged

I've switched back and forth between using a full-on desktop and a laptop my day-to-day work. Right now, I'm on a 14-inch MacBook Pro as my primary work station and that has quite a few benefits, even thought I'm eyeing going back to a desktop . One of the nice things about using a laptop as my main computer is the battery is always charged.

If the power goes out for any reason, I won't lose progress on an article I'm writing or video edit I'm in the middle of. In fact, I can simply open my laptop's screen, connect to my phone's hotspot, and I'm up and running as if nothing ever happened.

Important Computers and Networking Equipment Use a UPS

My entire network stack and homelab runs on a UPS (uninterruptible power supply). This means if the power goes out, my network stays online.

I also have my two servers hung off the same UPS . The servers do take up quite a bit of power, meaning the UPS will only stay online for about 10 to 15 minutes if the servers are running.

However, since my network doesn't go down when the power goes out, I can easily shut the servers down remotely to let the rest of the network stay online even longer.

Also, since my entire network and server stack runs off my UPS, I can always plug the UPS into another power source (generator, portable power station, or anything else) to keep it running for longer if needed.

Portable Power Stations Are There as Backup for Extended Outages

While the UPS runs server stack, I have a few portable power stations to power other items around my house. Specifically, a 256Wh Jackery and a 1,024Wh Anker Solix .

These power stations are capable of running my freezers, fridge, TV, or anything else around my house in case there's an extended outage. One of the best parts of having the power stations around is that I can recharge my MacBook Pro quite a few times from one to keep going. I can also plug my networking gear right up to the power station in the event that my UPS itself dies.

The power stations also support solar input, which means I can recharge them during the day so I can have networking overnight if needed.

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Overall, having a four-tier strategy to stay online when the power goes out (or surges) is absolutely necessary for me. Having experienced weeks-long power outages due to hurricanes in the past, having a plan in place to be able to work (and simply live semi-comfortably) gives me peace of mind.