Five years have passed since Hurricane Katrina and seven other named storms struck the Gulf Coast and Southeast in one of the most devastating hurricane seasons on record, but some areas of the Gulf Coast and adjoining states are still repairing the damage.Now, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center is warning of a 2010 hurricane season eerily similar to 2005.Citing all-time high sea surface temperatures in key areas of the Atlantic Ocean, as well as the El Nino cycle, NOAA predicts that the 2010 season will most likely produce 14 to 23 named storms, eight to 14 hurricanes and three to seven major hurricanes (category 3 or stronger). Faced with these alarming predictions, many IT departments may be asking what they can do to keep their business functioning during a major disruption such as a hurricane. A well-managed disaster preparedness plan can help prevent costly downtime and reduce inconvenience to customers. Here are seven habits that CDW LLC (CDW), a provider of information technology (IT) solutions to business, government and education, advises organizations adopt to best prepare their IT systems for a hurricane or other major disruption:

   1. Assess your current plan. Conduct a business impact assessment that prioritizes critical processes for the entire organization. For example, processes that need to resume within 24 hours to prevent serious mission impact, such as call center and customer relationship management, shipping and billing or resource planning, could receive an “A” rating.

   1. Take steps to protect data. Organizations should back up data frequently to ensure that data integrity and applications are not jeopardized. Organizations should also store multiple copies of data off site, at a remote location, a long distance from the primary data center.

   1. Review power options. Organizations should add uninterrupted power supplies (UPS) to keep the most essential applications running. In addition, cooling systems should be supported by backup generators. Temperature spikes can cause unplanned interruptions when operations are most critical.

   1. Identify and appoint a cross-functional preparedness team. Create a team to design and test the disaster recovery plan, as well as a recovery team, which will participate in recovery activities after any declared disaster.

   1. Document, test and update. The disaster preparedness plan should include logistical details, including travel to backup sites, and even who has spending authority for emergency needs. The plan should be tested in an environment that simulates an actual emergency.

   1. Consider telecommunications alternatives. Following Hurricane Katrina, many organizations lost access to reliable telecommunications equipment for days. Alternative communications vehicles, including wireless phones and satellite phones, should be considered.

   1. Form tight relationships with vendors. Hardware, software, network and service vendors can help expedite recovery, can often ensure priority replacement of telecommunications equipment, personal computers, servers, and network hardware in the event of a disaster.