Data Back Up Day- From a Katrina Survivor

Back It Up

Because....

You Just Never Know!!

Take it from a Hurricane Katrina Survivor! Back up your files now before tragedy strikes. You will be so very glad you did. 

I was one of those very lucky ones who saved all of my data before Katrina struck. On Friday we heard that the storm was headed to the east of us and that we would be in the clear. I relaxed and went on with my life. Saturday morning everything changed. This was a killer storm and it was headed right for the Mississippi Coast. We scrambled like crazy getting our furniture out of our home and moved north, because I just had an awful feeling we would not have  home to come back to. Every photo album, every one of my children's important baby items, their baby books, their christening outfits, etc. was packed up and moved. I spent the day in a frenzy backing up data on my computer. I would let the computer run while I ran around packing things and come back and change the disk and back up more. Then I also backed it up online because if I lost the computer and the disks, it would always be there waiting for me online. The back of my car was loaded down with birth certificates, tax forms, photo albums, jewelery and mementos. I even had a copy of a precious genealogy book that I had checked out from the library that I felt responsible for. I carried it with me at all times. The library was flooded. I later returned my copy intact. On Sunday I spent the entire storm staring out the window from my mother's home watching the shingles fly off the roof hitting my car windows with such force that they left etches in the glass, tree limbs flying from everywhere landing upon my vehicle. I prayed that the glass would hold and all the belongings would stay dry and safe. At the end of my parent's road the creek had flooded with the storm surge and the hospital there had cars floating in the parking lot. So, I was lucky my things were safe and dry.

There were so many people who lost everything. They lost all of their family photos, precious valuables, their homes, and their lives. All washed away into the gulf. 

I learned a valuable lesson. Don't wait for a disaster to strike to try to back up your data. Do it at least once a month!

Because you just never know when a disaster may strike!

Check list of things to do:

• Copy all of your photos and place on disks, or online storgage
• Copy those important papers
• Back up all passwords and bookmarks,or catalog them
• Place important papers and forms in folders and place in easily movable storage containers.
• Back up computer files 
• Photograph and catalog valuables
• Know where the most important papers are if they need to be moved quickly, make sure others are aware as well. 
• Make a plan!