Proven Under Pressure: Bryan County’s Tornado-Tested IT Recovery with ThinkGard

When Brian Conley partnered with ThinkGard to establish a data backup and disaster recovery plan for the IT systems of Bryan County, Georgia, he never envisioned a tornado as a potential disaster. Pembroke, the county seat and location of the county’s administrative offices, is less than 50 miles from the Atlantic coast, making a hurricane seem more likely. However, on April 5th, 2022, it was a tornado that had Bryan scouring the ditches, collecting computers flung from the courthouse by an EF-4 twister.

The tornado’s path began just west of the courthouse. It demolished the front of the building, tore off part of the roof, and shattered windows before continuing for 14.5 miles. Brian himself barely missed being in the tornado’s path. As soon as the danger passed, he returned to survey the damage.

Rapid Response When Systems Went Dark 

Before Brian even knew the extent of the damage, he was getting notifications from ThinkGard that something was wrong because the data backup appliance wasn’t communicating with the cloud server. Even though the ThinkGard team didn’t know what happened, they were ready to spring into action. 

ThinkGard has been Bryan County’s partner for data backup and disaster recovery services since 2015. As the Chief Information Officer for the county, Brian Conley has trusted ThinkGard to supplement the capabilities of his small team with sophisticated backup strategy and management services that they couldn’t do themselves. 

Brian has confidence in ThinkGard’s capabilities, knowing they have a proven system and the know-how to troubleshoot any issue that might arise. So even though the situation after the tornado looked like it was just about as bad as it could be for the county’s IT systems, he was certain that they would not lose their data. 

Mysterious Power Supply Issues 

When they were allowed back into the courthouse, Brian and his team found that nothing was physically damaged in the server room. However, the power was out, so they hooked up gas-powered generators and were able to get the phones and critical systems up and running, which included the data backup appliance. 

Despite having established a power supply, the equipment would flick off without warning, but they couldn’t find anything wrong with the servers or the generators. Then Brian discovered that the cleaning crew was unplugging the computers from the generator to plug in their vacuums.  

Consistent power is a necessity to avoid data corruption and damaged hardware. So, Brian decided to pack up all the servers onto a rack and take them across town to the local telephone company’s data center where he could ensure an uninterrupted supply of electricity. 

Backup for the Backup Used to Maintain Services 

In the process of spinning up the servers in this new location, the data backup appliance wouldn’t come online, most likely caused by the numerous times it had been flicked on and off when it was unplugged from the generator. ThinkGard expedited the delivery of a new backup appliance, and they were up and running. 

Fortunately, because the county’s backup strategy included storing a copy of their data offsite, ThinkGard was able to facilitate a virtual server in the cloud for a couple of days. This meant that the county could continue delivering essential services and public safety that residents needed as clean up in the community continued. When it arrived, the new backup device was installed in the temporary offices that had been set up while the courthouse was unusable. 

Supported by the ThinkGard Team Every Step of the Way 

The entire time that Brian was navigating through the aftermath of the tornado, he never felt like he was alone. From the moment the servers first went down until the county IT systems were stabilized in their temporary quarters, ThinkGard was monitoring, communicating, advising, and working to make sure that Brian could fulfill his mission to facilitate services and keep data safe.

“I know I can trust ThinkGard and I don’t have to worry,” said Brian. “They may not have all the answers but they’re going to find a way to make it work. You’re not on your own.”

Lessons in Resilience 

For people like Brian, preparing for potential disasters is part of their job. While most of the time the situations that trigger a data restoration aren’t as extreme as a tornado, the unexpected does happen. The ability to bounce back is dependent on how you prepare, and who you have by your side. 

In the end, the partnership between Bryan County and ThinkGard demonstrates the importance of having a reliable and proactive disaster recovery plan. By trusting ThinkGard, Brian ensured that even in the face of a devastating tornado, the county’s critical IT systems and data remained protected. Their experience not only emphasizes the resilience and dedication of both parties but also serves as a reminder that with the right preparations and partnerships, any challenge can be overcome.