On average, a hurricane makes landfall in Texas and does notable damage once every six years. Only Florida sees more hurricanes and tropical storms. However, that statistic can be a bit misleading. Hurricanes and tropical storms affect Texas more frequently. Meteorologists say that the average annual rate is really 0.08 — meaning that Texans should expect an average of three hurricanes or tropical storms every four years.
When is Hurricane Season in Texas?
The Texas hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30, although August through October is generally considered the peak period.
Over the years, hurricane winds and rain – and tornadoes spawned by the storm – have knocked out power for millions, and severe flooding has caused billions of dollars in damage in Houston, Austin and San Antonio. Dallas is not immune, either. One hurricane dumped more than 20 inches of rain in Dallas, causing severe flooding and significant outages.
Why Fiber Internet and Phone are So Important During Hurricane Season
Organizations need to be prepared for the frequency of dangerous storms and their potential for disruption. Hurricanes will occur, so implementing a business continuity and disaster recovery plan is essential.
A big part of that plan will involve communications, which includes your business internet in Texas and business phone service in Texas.
There is a reason why so many businesses choose fiber to deliver their business internet and phone. Fiber is the most reliable and resilient technology, especially regarding natural disasters. Significantly more durable than copper wiring, satellite or wireless towers, a fiber network is buried safely underground.
Fiber Resists Water and Corrosion
While water can affect traditional electric signals, fiber optics use light beams to transmit data, so fiber is not affected by rains and flooding – making your business internet and phone service less susceptible to outages. Fiber-optic cables are also resistant to corrosion.
Easier Rerouting
If an outage occurs, fiber networks are easier to reroute traffic to bypass disruptions. For example, it is possible to quickly reroute business internet in Texas and business phone service in Texas along other fiber pathways to reach the intended destination. Copper wires may require physical reattachment.
Better than Wireless
If a cellular tower gets hit by hurricane-force winds, it may not survive. When towers go down, critical links in the communication chain no longer work. Hurricane Harvey knocked out 70% of the cell towers in the Houston area, leaving businesses and residents without cell phone coverage.
Powered Fiber
Power goes out frequently during the heaviest storms, but fiber can continue to transmit data signals as long as your provider has power. So even if you lose power, you may have internet access. Switching to a generator, battery power or a laptop and plugging into the fiber could allow you to continue to operate when others cannot.
Real-Time Data Sync
Fiber is the fastest and most reliable way to back up your data. Regularly scheduled backups to a cloud service provider or off-site data center can help you get back up and running in case of a disaster. Not only does fiber give you better access to your data, but it also provides the bandwidth to back up more reliably and recover more quickly.
LOGIX Fiber Networks Weathers the Storms
When hurricanes hit Houston, LOGIX Fiber Networks stayed up and running while many other business internet service providers went down. Telecoms in Dallas went out during a recent tornado for many homeowners and organizations, but LOGIX customers remained online. Fiber connectivity is simply more reliable and resilient, regardless of weather conditions.
LOGIX is Texas’ largest independent fiber provider, with more than 300,000 fiber miles, connections to 3,000 enterprise buildings, and more than 80 third-party data centers. LOGIX owns and operates its own fiber network while some providers lease lines, which can cause significant disruptions in case of a problem. There can be even disputes about where the problem occurred and who is responsible for fixing it.
A state-of-the-art core backbone, multiple fiber rings in major Texas markets, and 24/7 year-round monitoring at a Texas-based network operations center (NOC) provide redundant and reliable connectivity. In the event of a service disruption, LOGIX also staffs a Texas-based customer support center and has local technicians nearby to get you back up and running as quickly as possible.
Get ready for hurricane season this year, and make sure that your business continuity and disaster recovery plans include fiber connectivity.
Contact LOGIX today at 281-688-6283 or request a quote before hurricane season hits.