Why Grocery & C-Stores Rely on Wireless Sensors During Power Outages

Hurricane Helene is the latest reminder of how severe weather can disrupt operations for grocery and convenience stores across the United States. Every year, the Atlantic hurricane season brings significant challenges, with an average of three to four major hurricanes making landfall between June and November. These storms frequently cause power outages, flooding, and logistical disruptions, particularly in coastal regions. While many businesses have installed backup generators to prevent extended power losses, even the best preparations can’t fully eliminate all risks—and ensuring food safety during these outages is a very real concern.

When power outages happen, often caused by extreme weather events like Hurricane Helene, Disruptive Technologies provides a reliable solution that gives businesses uninterrupted data for making informed decisions. Even if a store’s power is cut and the Cloud Connector gateway goes offline, our wireless temperature sensors continue to record temperature data. The data is stored locally on the sensor itself and, once the connection is restored, automatically uploaded to the cloud—creating a complete log of temperature conditions throughout the outage.

This data backfill feature is crucial for ensuring food safety. It ensures an uninterrupted record of temperatures, allowing the responsible teams to see exactly when and by how much temperatures fluctuated during the outage. With this information, they can confidently assess whether food products are still safe or if they need to be discarded—helping businesses avoid unnecessary food waste while ensuring consumer safety.

While many stores have generators to keep fridges, freezers, and cooler rooms running during outages, having a system that captures data even during short-term disruptions is key. Wireless sensors with data backfill offer peace of mind, ensuring that temporary disconnections don’t leave gaps in food safety monitoring.

Did your store lose power during Hurricane Helene? If you faced challenges in maintaining food safety or managing the impact of power outages, contact us to learn how our Cold Storage Monitoring Solution can provide you with the data you need to make critical decisions, even during unexpected disruptions.

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