Internet and power outages often linger briefly after big storms pass through, making it difficult to check in on loved ones. But sometimes, those internet networks can take much longer to repair. Over 974,000 homes and businesses experienced power outages after Hurricane Helene swept through rural mountain communities on Sept. 27. It was a hurricane that no one in the western Carolinas could have expected, a “one-in-1,000-year" storm worsened by prior rainfall and the region's rugged mountainous terrain.
Neighborhoods in Mitchell and Yancey counties were left without internet for weeks following Helene’s devastation. Long after the hurricane had swept through the Southeast: 23,236 cable and wired internet customers were still reportedly out of service, according to the FCC’s last report on Helene recovery efforts from Oct. 19.
Internet service providers are among the first on the ground after a natural disaster, alongside power companies, first responders and the Department of Transportation. So, where exactly does an internet provider start when it comes to repairing a vast network after a natural disaster -- especially one as destructive as Hurricane Helene? I talked with experts from the top ISPs in the country to find out.
Locating local internet providers
Preparation starts early
For most ISPs, disaster recovery efforts begin long before a hurricane ever hits the ground and require advanced technology to repair networks devastated by storms or other natural disasters.
“Preparation actually starts before any storm,” said Elton Hart, vice president and regional general manager of the Mid-Atlantic area for Optimum. “We are monitoring these [storms] as far out as we possibly can.”
Locating local internet providers
Optimum repairing internet infrastructure in Hendersonville, NC following Hurricane Helene. Optimum
For midsize internet providers like Optimum and major companies like Verizon and T-Mobile, having a disaster recovery plan is essential -- especially in mountainous regions where rural communities may have limited connectivity. As hurricanes are more predictable than forest fires, for example, these ISPs can take preventative measures like topping off generators with fuel, deploying personnel and crews on standby and communicating with customers about the possibility of outages.
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