Power Protection FEATURED ARTICLE

Winter came early to the Midwest when a deep freeze set in across the region on Sunday, November 22, with low temperatures reaching the single digits and a few below zero. Unfortunately, this turned the season's first major snow into ice that made some roads treacherous.

The first snowfall dropped amounts ranging from a few inches to over 20 inches of snow from South Dakota through Michigan earlier in the weekend. Winter Storm Bella not only brought the first heavy, accumulating snow of the season for some in the Great Lakes and Midwest, it was also one of the heaviest November snowstorms of record for some.

It is not surprising to hear of power outages during severe weather conditions and this storm was no exception. According to a report listed on WNDU.com, Indiana Michigan Power, more than 3,900 people were without power in Indianapolis and 3,400 customers throughout Michigan. The cause for most of the outages was branches which were snapped off due to the extra weight of all the snow.

The real problem is that Michigan suffered over 200 separate outages, while Indiana had at least 150 outages. Essentially, these areas were without power during freezing temperatures for a major part of the weekend. Indiana Michigan Power crews, as well as those from other locations and private contractors worked diligently to fix all of the power-related issues.

When the power goes out, especially during a severe snowstorm, there is no telling when it will be restored. The question to ask is what can be done to try to save as much information and equipment during situations such as this. Businesses and homes are always affected, meaning that some could have experienced data losses and others will find that their equipment was damaged and cannot be turned on.

The answer is a simple one, but it is also one that most people do not take advantage of. Connecting the more sensitive equipment to an uninterruptable power supply (UPS) could save a lot of money and headaches. One of the first names that come to my mind when I think about UPSs is Minuteman Power Technologies (News - Alert). The company was founded in 1982 and I was lucky enough to test one of their first products and still rely on their stability.

In this age of needing to be connected all the time, a UPS is also valuable in keeping cellphones and tablets powered up so that family and friends can be contacted and people can keep up to date on information concerning the power outage.