The devastation from Hurricane Helene was still unfolding when Hurricane Milton marched in, bringing along ferocious tornadoes and wreaking havoc on the west-central coast of Florida. Homes crumbled, roofs vanished, and essential power supply lines fell silent in a matter of moments.
In the face of these disasters, data center infrastructure providers in Florida are stepping up their game. They’re redesigning facilities to resist the harsh realities of increasingly severe weather patterns. Keeping uptime is non-negotiable because these centers support crucial telecommunications and IT systems for industries like finance, business, and healthcare.
Climate change is ramping up the frequency of extreme weather events—think of heatwaves, raging winds, floods, and wildfires. The Uptime Institute’s Annual Outage Analysis 2024 report shows a direct link between these conditions and data center outages. The data suggests the situation won’t be improving anytime soon unless proactive measures are embraced.
Almost half of the data center operators have faced extreme weather challenges that put their operations in jeopardy. Just under 10% have reported outages or significant disruptions, making severe weather a top disruptor. Uptime’s research reveals that most serious outages stem from disruptions in on-site power distribution. IT hardware can’t tolerate power hiccups, whether brief dips or total blackouts that last just seconds.
Fast forward to now, and over a million customers are still without power, primarily in the Carolinas and parts of Florida. After Hurricane Milton, more than three million found themselves in the dark.
Data center providers in these affected areas reported maintaining uptime during recent hurricanes. However, people acknowledge that widespread, extended power outages could still pose challenges, even for those with backup systems.
Grace Padrón, senior director of operations at Equinix, emphasizes the need for resilient infrastructure. “Our International Business Exchanges act as vital hubs connecting global markets and fueling the digital economy across various sectors,” she said.
While the risks of outages rise, there’s a glimmer of hope. Uptime’s data indicates the rate of outages per facility is improving. Although more than half of operators reported outages in the last three years, that figure dropped from 60% in 2022 and 69% in 2021. Plus, only one in ten outages in 2023 was serious or severe.
This improvement comes down to increased investment in redundancy. Uptime’s survey found that 39% of enterprises and 35% of data center providers upped their power redundancy measures over the past few years. Facilities in hurricane and tornado-prone regions like Florida, Texas, and Oklahoma are gearing up to withstand major disasters.
Take Tonaquint, for example. They revamped the EdgeX data center in Oklahoma City, fortifying it to endure winds of up to 310 mph while guaranteeing 100% uptime. Similarly, Equinix’s MI1 data center in downtown Miami was strategically built 14 feet above sea level, with critical systems positioned even higher to withstand Category 5 hurricane winds. According to Padrón, the state-of-the-art design includes redundancies and robust power systems with backup generators ready to kick in if local utilities fail.
Flexential also prioritizes resilience. Their two Tampa data centers are engineered with multiple layers of redundancy—UPS systems, on-site generators, and advanced cooling setups ensure uninterrupted service even in extreme weather conditions. “These systems guarantee continuous operations during hurricanes,” said Ryan Mallory, the chief operating officer.
When hurricanes loom, Equinix jumps into preparation mode every year starting June 1. “When we declare an emergency, we activate our hazardous weather protocols, ensuring that we have the necessary fuel, staff, and equipment ready,” Padrón explained.
Equinix’s solid planning has so far allowed them to ride out the storms without service interruptions. Flexential echoed this sentiment, with their Florida data centers staying operational after Hurricane Milton, thanks to 100% uptime planning and swift restoration protocols if needed.
In strategic locations across Florida, Lumen Technologies prepped for the hurricane by positioning fuel and generators for quick deployment. They even stationed backup power systems and technicians nearby, ready to respond as soon as it was safe to do so. Their proactive approach has ensured that their facilities remain fully operational.
Bridget Botelho has been at the helm of tech industry coverage since 2007, leading TechTarget’s reporting team in navigating these evolving technological landscapes.