{"id":2561,"date":"2013-08-08T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2013-08-08T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/otava.test\/michigan-data-centers-offer-little-hurricane-risk\/"},"modified":"2013-08-08T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2013-08-08T00:00:00","slug":"michigan-data-centers-offer-little-hurricane-risk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.otava.com\/blog\/michigan-data-centers-offer-little-hurricane-risk\/","title":{"rendered":"Michigan Data Centers Offer Little Hurricane Risk"},"content":{"rendered":"

This week I will be focusing on one of the most destructive natural disasters \u2013 hurricanes.\u00a0 The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted that 2013 will be an \u201cactive or extremely active\u201d hurricane season with a 70 percent chance of 13-20 \u201cnamed storms\u201d in the Atlantic.<\/p>\n

Hurricane High Risk Locations<\/strong>
\nHurricanes are large, spiraling tropical storms that can reach up to 160 miles per hour and unleash more than 2.4 trillion gallons of rain a day.\u00a0 In the Atlantic, hurricane season starts June 1st<\/sup> and ends November 30th<\/sup> and in the Pacific, the season starts May 15th<\/sup> and ends November 30th<\/sup>.<\/p>\n

\"Hurricane
Hurricane Risk; Source: https:\/\/www.crisishq.com\/why-prepare\/us-natural-disaster-map<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We can see that the U.S. eastern and southeastern coasts experience the highest risks of hurricanes.\u00a0 According to the NOAA, 80% of all major hurricanes strike either Florida or Texas, which begs the question why so many data centers are built in these two hurricane-prone states?\u00a0 Other states that offer high probability and large number of data centers are Georgia, New York and New Jersey.<\/p>\n

Some of the safest regions include the Midwest including the states of Illinois, Ohio and Michigan.\u00a0 None of these states have had direct hurricane hits.\u00a0 Other states in the west such as California and Washington have not been directly impacted by hurricanes.<\/p>\n

Hurricanes Direct Hits on US
\n1851-2012<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n

State<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

No. of Data Centers<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

No. Hurricanes<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Disaster Declarations<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

California<\/strong><\/td>\n\n

156<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

2<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Illinois<\/strong><\/td>\n\n

67<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

1<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Florida<\/strong><\/td>\n\n

56<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

114<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

41<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Georgia<\/strong><\/td>\n\n

35<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

20<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

7<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Michigan<\/strong><\/td>\n\n

34<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

1<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

New Jersey<\/strong><\/td>\n\n

42<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

2<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

13<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

New York<\/strong><\/td>\n\n

89<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

12<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

17<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Ohio<\/strong><\/td>\n\n

45<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

3<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Texas<\/strong><\/td>\n\n

108<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

63<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

26<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Washington<\/strong><\/td>\n\n

47<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

1<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Source:\u00a0 www.fema.gov<\/p>\n

Hurricane Severity<\/strong>
\nThese destructive tropical storms are a threat to data centers because they bring with them high winds, flooding, coastal storm surges and tornadoes.\u00a0\u00a0 Hurricane winds range from 74 mph to greater than 155 mph and responsible for structural damage.\u00a0 The heavy rains that come with hurricanes are responsible for major flooding in areas where the storm normally strikes, but also can affect hundreds of miles from where the storm made landfall.\u00a0 The storm surge is the most dangerous and destructive part of a hurricane.\u00a0 As a hurricane approaches the coast the winds drive the water onto the shore causing water to rise rapidly and flooding can occur.<\/p>\n

Although tornadoes can happen anywhere and anytime and more intense, hurricanes stay around longer, cover more ground and cause more overall damage.\u00a0 In a 1998 NOAA study, researchers found that hurricanes cause about $3 billion dollars in damage every time they touch the ground.<\/p>\n

If we look at the number of FEMA disaster declarations, we can gain an understanding of which geographical\u00a0 areas see the greatest damage due to hurricanes.\u00a0 Florida, Texas, and Louisiana lead the country in 26+ disaster declarations.<\/p>\n

Next, if we focus on other states with the highest number of data centers New York has declared 17 disasters and New Jersey has declared 13.\u00a0 Once again we see a low number of disasters in the Midwest with Michigan and Illinois claiming 1 disaster and Ohio 3.<\/p>\n

\"Hurricane
Hurricane Severity<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Michigan Data Centers Offer No Hurricane Risks
\n<\/strong>No hurricane has ever been observed in Michigan and hurricanes that have become extratropical, losing its tropical characteristics, rarely reach the state. \u00a0The past 80 years of NOAA data suggests that hurricane or tropical storm remnants make their way to Michigan, on average, twice a decade.\u00a0 And by the time the remnants of the storm reach Michigan, it has diminished to rain and strong winds. Therefore, Michigan data centers<\/a> offer a safe haven for many organizations looking for a hosting provider or disaster recovery location free from hurricane risks.<\/p>\n

Read more about our Michigan data centers:<\/p>\n