Fortunately, land was in sight after a few days, not least thanks to the energetic help of our employees. We were able to work normally again. It seemed almost like a miracle to us!
The rooms affected by the flood were quickly cleared out. But only then did the enormous extent of the damage became apparent. We soon realised: Simply replacing servers and equipment and repairing the damage to the building – that wasn't enough. We also had to take measures to protect our company from such a potentially recurring event. The individual points were implemented as quickly as possible:
- Building: Basement, windows and workshop
If water had penetrated through some basement windows in June 2024, these were now fitted with fixed glazing or replaced with floodproof basement windows at critical points. And for emergencies, submersible pumps are now always ready for use in the basements of all buildings. Plus long hoses, sandbags and boards.
Among other things, the test equipment for carrying out long-term examinations, such as two TOST, five RPVOT and one corrosion protection test, was housed in the basement rooms. After the complete destruction of this basement laboratory, replacement equipment had to be procured, the rooms renovated and their media supply and exhaust systems reinstalled. All the work has now been completed.
Our caretaker’s workshop had also become unusable due to the flood. The renovation work has also been completed here. The new workshop shines in fresh splendour. - IT: New servers and enhanced protection
Some of our servers had been completely destroyed by the flood. In a first step, these were replaced at short notice. We also installed the critical servers in locations other than the basement rooms. The server cabinets are positioned up to 150 cm above the floor. The temperature and humidity of the systems are now permanently monitored digitally.
Now our servers and the associated installations are as well protected as possible against the effects of a new flood. All our IT equipment is technically state of the art. Through fundamental changes to the IT structure, we have significantly increased failure and backup security. OELCHECK is now even better protected against operational failures and/or data loss due to cyberattacks. - Blackout: We take precautions!
We already cover a large part of our electricity requirements ourselves with our photovoltaic systems. We are currently looking into increasing the capacity and also installing an emergency power generator. - The duct system: Municipal support
The duct system is theoretically designed for heavy rain. In the summer of 2024, however, water masses from the surrounding area were also added, causing the system to overflow. The municipality has already responded to this. The protective trenches near our buildings were dredged and better reinforced.
In short: Should our company once again be threatened by heavy rain and flash floods, the impact will not be as devastating as in summer 2024. We have done our best!