It looks like Hurricane Irene may directly hit New Jersey this weekend:

http://www.app.com/article/20110824/NJN ... New-Jersey

Think the Newark data center will stay up? New Jersey doesn't usually get hit directly, which makes this all the more nerve-wracking.

Probably. As long as there's utility power and/or diesel fuel flowing within a few days, datacenters are pretty good about handling weather. Given that Cedar Knolls looks to be near lots of major thoroughfares, 25 miles inland and about 200-300 feet above sea level, it's in a pretty decent place.

That said, NYC runs a high risk of being somewhat boned, which may negatively impact network infrastructure throughout the region.

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Thanks. Yeah, that does sound like a pretty decent place. I didn't know the data center was actually outside of Newark. Let's just hope the network infrastructure doesn't suffer too much.

P.S. I feel like there's some joke involving Hurricane Electric here

Now, while the datacenters are in good shape, this is probably going to make life interesting at the Linode World Headquarters building (aka Datacenter #1).

Long-time #Linode IRC fans might recall the buttload-of-snow cam from last winter (or was it the winter before?)... any chance that the camera survived and will make a comeback for the hurricane?

-rt (Building Evacuation Gathering Point: Dubliner Irish Pub and Grill)

fingers crossed

I always wondered why they just didn't build them in a pit in the ground. Would be cooler also. Put them in a box with drains so flooding wouldn't get them.

For some reason this all reminds me of minecraft and Col. Gudaffi.

Drains that go where? If the drain is below sea level, you'd need to pump the water out... means more demand on power resources.

Also, digging out a whole datacenter would be fairly expensive.

A few datacenters have been built in old mines or nuclear bunkers.

Snowcam survived being buried under a foot of snow, and has made a triumphant return.

Ask and ye shall receive. Won't be interesting until tomorrow night, but it'll be up barring John Cusack flying through the window in an airplane.

@jed (and other Linode staff):

Is the Linode staff concerned about the NJ data center? Hearing you all are comfortable would probably make us more comfortable. (I know it would for me.)

At the office we're comfortable and we have contingency plans. Datacenters are built for this, so I wouldn't worry about them either (plus the Newark facility is much further inland, being in Cedar Knolls as HoopyCat said -- he's right).

I'd put my chips on BAU and not worry about it at all.

I can't tell if the work proxy is mangling it, but it seems to be broadcasting your forum avatar writ large at the moment.

Good luck to you all and I hope Irene misses you!

I'm worried about the staff- not the boxen. Good luck folks!

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Chris Bryant

I had the opportunity to tour this facility a few moons ago. It's in the middle of nowhere, it's built to last, and... well, if you make it past the desolate isolation, triple-layer razorwire electrified fence, marauding packs of albino deer, and telco security, you've still got to get through the doors. And then the doors behind those.


DSC_4181 by bert_m_b, on Flickr

There's also a paved runway, but alas, it's "abandoned", per the sectional chart. -rt

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I haven't understood onething.
Is there someone who ordered jersey people to leave?

I read that america is ordering people to leave the cities.
Is this true? People leaved?

Where will people go? I know that most new yorkers don't have a car.