Power Protection FEATURED ARTICLE

Over 6,000 customers in Provo, Utah woke up without power early Thursday morning. Everyone was well aware of the storm and lighting the night before, so the fact that a power pole was struck was not too surprising. The extent of the damage it caused, however, was somewhat unexpected, as thousands of people were trying to get their day started having to deal with a power outage.

A power outage stops many of the things we do in our modern-day life. From the time we wake up, go to work and come back home, electricity has played critically important roles throughout the day. For the residents in Provo, the power was not restored until 8 a.m., which is the time most of us are out the door to go to work or start our day.

According to Provo City Power, the power pole was charred by the lightning strike when the crew found it and began fixing the damage. The power was first restored to 4,000 customers, followed by the remaining 2,000+ after the cross arms on the pole were replaced.

The average power outage lasts about 20 minutes, while extended outages can last around eight hours. The time depends on a wide range of factors, and it is hard to predict until the damage is done to determine how long a particular area will be without electricity. And even though the inconvenience to homeowners is just as troubling, for businesses there are financial costs attached to the period in which they are without power.

The Provo incident took place very early in the morning or late at night when most businesses are closed. This left servers, computers, alarms, and other system vulnerable if the company didn't have battery backup, surge protectors or UPS solutions installed. With the vast majority of businesses completely reliant on digital technology for their day-to-day operations, it is essential to protect the hardware needed to run the company.

Battery packs and UPS can be deployed to supply enough power to critical systems and initiate shutdown protocols so computers can power down without the risk of losing valuable data. The right company can provide battery packs and UPS that can be daisy-chained to deliver a virtually unlimited amount of runtime. This, of course, is not necessary for the vast majority of businesses, but it is good to know there are options available to have continuous power with battery packs and UPS solutions if you need it.