Apparatus and processes to automatically power-down a computer
system upon determination of the presence, imminence, or forecast of
severe weather in the local area. A computer
system receives data relating to a weather forecast for a particular local area from a weather service communication
server and, based on a determination of the presence, imminence or forecast of
severe weather in the local area, initiates an automatic power-down sequence. A
delay may be provided to allow the user time to abort the
initiation of the automatic power-down sequence. The data may be transmitted in any suitable manner, e.g., over a
telephone line through the PSTN, using
the Internet, using a
paging system, etc. The weather service communication
server is provided with the particular local area relating to the computer system. For instance, in the case of a dial-up
telephone call to the weather service communication
server, call related information such as the
telephone exchange number and / or the area code in Caller ID information can be used by the weather service communication server to determine the local area relating to the particular computer system. Thus, a user is provided additional security against damage which may be caused to all or a portion of a computer system due to
lightning strikes, downed telephone poles, etc. as a result of
severe weather in a local area.