Many people might think of the food and water aspects in preparing for hurricane season, but do not think about the fact that damage to critical computers that contain personal data, financial records, pictures and other irreplaceable data could be lost, unless you have backed up with Carbonite.

5 items you must take care of before the arrival of hurricane season, to not only make sure you survive, but also keep your data stored away properly for insurance purposes, or even a FEMA loan are as follows:

1. If a power outage should occur during a hurricane, it is definitely possible to lose important financial data, emails and photos, which is why you should back up all of your files with Carbonite. They will mitigate the risk of you losing any of your precious files. It is completely secure and encrypted and only costs $54.95 a year to maintain. Lost information can be irreplaceable in the event of a power surge so get all of your information backed-up with this user friendly service.

2. Stocking up on water is one of the 5 things you must do before hurricane season. Often municipal water supplies become contaminated and there is no way to boil water if utility outages occur. Stores become depleted of bottled water and it can take days for rescue workers to reach you with their limited supply of bottled water. Keep gallons of bottled water supplied on a regular basis.

3. Buy plenty of batteries. Batteries are another one of those must haves during hurricane season because they are necessary for powering flashlights, which you will need at night if there is no power, and radios, which you will need to keep yourself informed during and after the storm until power services have been restored. Again, don’t wait until the last minute to gather these items because once a storm warning has been issued, people will be running to the store and supplies will be depleted.

4. Stocking your cupboards with canned goods is something most people up North do to prepare for snow related weather, but is also something that those of us affected by hurricanes must do as well. Keeping a good supply of canned goods with a long shelf life will again help you to survive those days that you may have to go without power. You will be unable to eat anything your refridgerator after 2 days, so it is important to have other non-perishables readily available.

5. Get a battery operated radio and flash light is one of the 5 things you must do before hurricane season, as many of the stores cant keep these in stock, once hurricane warnings have been issued for a region.

Following the 5 steps outlined will most certainly help to ensure that you not only survive, but that your personal information contained on your computer survives as well.