After the Storms: Checking Your Low-Voltage Systems Before Winter

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. NOAA's National Hurricane Center notes that most activity falls between mid-August and mid-October, so by late October the busiest stretch is usually behind us, even though the season is not over. Most Tampa Bay businesses have turned their attention to the holidays and year-end. That makes now a good time for a short inspection of the systems that sit outside or run through the building's edges: cameras, exterior cables, grounding and backup internet.

Storm damage to low-voltage systems is often not obvious. A camera keeps recording with water slowly working into its connector. A cable sags where a strap broke. A surge damages a port that still lights up but drops connection now and then. Problems like these tend to surface weeks later, at a time nobody planned for. A walk-around while the weather is mild catches many of them early.

A short inspection list

Outdoor cameras

• Look at the picture first. Check every camera's live view and a clip of recorded footage. Look for fogging, water spots, a picture that has shifted or tilted, or night video that looks washed out or dark.
• Check the mounts. Wind can loosen mounts or shift a camera's aim. A camera that now points at the sky or a wall is not protecting anything.
• Look at the housings and seals. Cracks, missing covers or moisture inside the dome are signs water has found a way in.
• Clear what grew or moved. Trees and landscaping that were trimmed back, or that blew into new positions, can block a view that used to be clear.
• Confirm recording. Make sure the recorder or cloud service still shows every camera as online and recording, with the expected amount of stored footage.

Exterior cable runs

• Walk the outside paths. Look along walls, rooflines, poles and fences where cables run. Watch for cables pulled loose from their supports, hanging low, rubbing on edges or kinked.
• Check conduit and entry points. Cracked or separated conduit and gaps where cables enter the building let water in. Water that travels along a cable can end up inside a wall or a piece of equipment.
• Look at connectors and boxes. Outdoor junction boxes should be closed and intact. Corrosion on connectors is a sign of moisture.
• Note any damage from debris or repairs. Roof work, tree removal and fence repairs after a storm are common causes of cut or crushed cables.

Grounding and surge protection

Communications and camera cables that run outdoors or enter the building from outside can carry surges from nearby lightning into your equipment. The National Electrical Code includes specific bonding and grounding requirements for communications cables where they enter a building, and surge protection devices on data and camera lines are a common added layer of defense.

• Look, do not touch. Note any grounding wires that are loose, broken, corroded or disconnected, and any surge protectors with warning lights or scorch marks.
• Watch for symptoms. Network ports that stopped working after a storm, cameras that reboot on their own, or equipment that feels unusually warm can all point to surge damage.
• Call a professional for anything electrical. Do not open panels, disconnect grounding conductors or try to repair surge equipment yourself. That work belongs to a licensed contractor.

Backup internet and power

• Test your backup connection. If you have cellular failover, confirm it still works. Many businesses only find out a backup has failed during the next outage. Ask your provider whether it can be tested safely, for example by briefly disconnecting the main internet connection outside business hours.
• Check the cellular signal. If an antenna is mounted outside, make sure it is still secure and pointed the way it was installed.
• Check battery backups. Battery backup units for the router, switches and recorder wear out over time. If a unit beeped, shut off unexpectedly or shows a battery warning during an outage this season, it may need a new battery or replacement.
• Remember that a backup has limits. In a widespread storm, cellular networks can be affected too. FCC status reports after Hurricane Milton in 2024 listed cell sites out of service in the affected area, so plan for the possibility that every connection is down for a while.

Indoor equipment near the outside

• Check closets on exterior walls or below roofs. Look for water stains on ceilings and walls near network closets and equipment.
• Look for dampness or musty smells. Humidity that settles into a closet after a roof leak can affect equipment over time.

Write it down

As you go, take photos and note the location of anything that looks wrong. A short list with pictures makes it easier to decide what is urgent, get an accurate estimate and, if damage is storm-related, give your insurance agent what they need. Ask your agent before you start repairs if you think a claim may be involved.

Fix the small things before they grow

Most of what turns up on an inspection like this is minor: a mount to tighten, a seal to replace, a cable to re-secure, a battery to swap. Handling those now, while the weather is mild and schedules are open, is far easier than dealing with a failed camera or a dead connection in the middle of a busy season. Bigger findings, like damaged runs or surge-damaged equipment, are easier to plan and budget for when you know about them early.

If you would like help working through the list or repairing what you find, you can read more about our low-voltage services, including the camera, cabling and backup internet work we do for businesses across Tampa Bay.