#top
Guest Columnists

From the October 2001 Guest Columnist Page

Storm Season !!!

By Kathy Ritchie, Ritchie Secretarial Service

K.R. is our lead columnist and a regular contributor to this E.Zine.

Kathy Ritchie, MVA, CVA Do you know what to do in the event of a storm? Chances are, you know what steps to take to protect your family, but what about your computer?

In Colorado, there are over 150,000 lightening strikes every year, damaging property, and causing an average of five deaths. Peak thunderstorm and tornado season is from mid May to mid August, with the highest risk in June.

Just recently, a tornado ripped through Ellicott, Colorado. While there's no way to prevent thunderstorms, lightening, and tornados, we can limit the damage some of the weather hazards can cause.

1. In a thunderstorm, shut down your computer, including all peripherals.
2. Don't forget to unplug your phone from the outlet - especially if it's connected to your modem. Even with the power off, lightening can surge through your phone line and damage your modem!
3. Do not use the telephone! The same day the tornado ripped through Ellicott, Colorado, a woman in the Denver metro area was shocked by lightening through her phone!
4. Invest in a good power surge protector or power supply. In case you lose your power before you've shut down, the higher-end power supply systems will give you a few seconds to save your work and shut down the system. The surge protector can help protect your system from surges.

For a list of safety tips for your home and family, visit http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/index.html for downloadable reading material.

You may also want to consider insurance, either renters insurance, or homeowners insurance, which can help you recover and get back to work in the event of storm damage.

Spring is beautiful, exciting, and sometimes, damaging. Be prepared, have a plan in place, and be safe!

© Kathy A. Ritchie, 2001
Kathy Ritchie is a professional virtual assistant and owner of Ritchie Secretarial Service. She has over 12 years experience in office assistance and successful operation of a Virtual Office Assistance practice since June 1996. Visit her award winning website at www.thebestva.com or E.Mail kritchie@thebestva.com for more information.


We're actively seeking Guest Columnists. Got a favorite E.Commerce subject you'd like to discuss at length in a one-person forum? Here's the place to do it!!! Guest Columnist articles should be in good English and not slander anyone nor anything. The News Letter reserves the right to refuse to publish any Guest Columnist article for any reason without commenting why nor acknowledging the existence of the original Guest Columnist article. Guest Columnist articles may be lightly amended for the sake of clarity and conciseness and are the sole property of the The News Letter. Anonymous Guest Columnist articles are not accepted. Valid E.Mail addresses are a must. Short Guest Columnist articles may be submitted directly via this E.Mail panel. Your name, E.Mail address and homepage URL will be published with your Guest Columnist article.

   

     First Name    
      Last Name  
        Address          
           City     
          State   
            Zip  
        Country          
 E-Mail Address           
   
   Your Message
  


 Unknown (Cache 2) 


send E.Mail to Mike Murphy--Community Webmaster send E.Mail to Kindred Spirit--Senior Consultant Kathy Ritchie--visit her award-winning site go to the Headlines Page go to the Archives Page go to the Guest Columnist Page