SunGard Availability Services, a data center outsourcing provider, has secured all of its US East Coast facilities that are in the projected path of Hurricane Sandy, a murderous storm that ravaged through the Caribbean and was expected to arrive at the US East Coast early next week.

“SunGard Availability Services is on high alert as we closely monitor the path of Hurricane Sandy, which is churning up the eastern seaboard,” the company said in a message to its customers posted online.

The company said it had activated a hurricane-preparedness process, securing facilities and ensuring consistent communications.

If the storm hits the East Coast as projected, many data centers will be in its path. The main hubs in its crosshairs are New York and New Jersey.

Major storms present the danger of physical damage to data centers, but they also often cause power outages, putting data centers’ backup-power systems and processes to test. There is also the danger of connectivity loss due to damaged network infrastructure.

Sandy killed at least 41 people in the Caribbean and could make landfall Monday night or Tuesday morning in Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York or New England, Reuters reported, citing US government forecasters.

The storm triggered landslides and floods in Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and the Bahamas, according to Reuters.