Protecting our collective cultural heritage

As we enter the hurricane season, which spans from the beginning of June to the end of November, it is crucial to acknowledge the potential risks posed to archived materials from severe weather events. Recent incidents have served as stark reminders of the destructive power of nature. New York City, for instance, witnessed unprecedented air pollution originating from wildfires in Canada. Additionally, the Midwest and South regions of the United States have experienced a series of severe storms resulting in flash floods and tornadoes, and extreme heatwaves have become common across Europe.

The onset of hurricane season now brings with it further increased likelihood of severe weather and wildfire risk, posing a significant threat to countless local communities. As guardians of valuable archives, Iron Mountain maintains comprehensive disaster preparedness plans for all of our facilities in anticipation of such calamities; however, there are many resources available for personal emergency response plan use that can help you create a strategy to safeguard your own personal archives. Below is a collection of some of these resources.

• Response and Recovery Resources (HENTF)

• Disaster Response and Recovery Guides (FAIC)

• Save Your Family Treasures (HENTF)

• Salvaging Water-Damaged Family Valuable and Heirlooms (FEMA)

• After the Flood: Advice for Salvaging Damaged Family Treasures (FEMA)
  This fact sheet is also available in Spanish, Vietnamese, Portuguese, Chinese, and Haitian Creole here.

• Members of the public with questions about saving family heirlooms can contact the National Heritage Responders at NHRpublichelpline@culturalhertiage.org.

• Review the Documenting in Times of Crisis: A Resource Kit, which provides templates and documents to assist cultural heritage responders and archivists in collecting materials on tragedies within their communities.

• For direct assistance, contact the SAA Crisis Collecting Assistance Team (CCAT), which offers remote assistance and general guidance on crisis collecting. CCAT volunteers include expert archivists who have all faced similar situations in leading and supporting their staff through processing and documenting tragedies great and small.