The National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT) is gearing up to assist preservation professionals and the public as Hurricane Irene makes its way towards the eastern seaboard of the United States.
Since 2005, NCPTT has aggregated emergency preparedness and response information for collectors, museum professionals, cultural resource managers, building and maintenance crews, and others who care for cultural heritage.
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These resources have been assembled to help people mitigate risks to cultural resources when faced with a disaster.
Whether you need to prepare for a disaster, mitigate damage after a disaster, or seek the assistance fo a conservator, these resources can help your institution with preparation and recovery efforts.
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Days before touch down, managers and stewards of historic landscapes should be well prepared for the aftermath of a major catastrophe.
Preparedness at Bayou Bend Collections and Gardens begins at the start of Hurricane Season, not days before a storm. Major efforts include the thinning of historically significant trees, as well as trees close to important structures, to allow for strong winds to pass through and not bend and break the upper limbs and branches.
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Creating a disaster plan before a disaster strikes can be of great assistance in mitigating damage and loss. There are online tools such as dPlan that provide templates to help institutions develop a customized plan. Disaster plans assist in identifying risks and create procedures to follow if an event occurs.
The best disaster plans in the world will not be of assistance if no one knows about it or it is not maintained and updated! Planning for your collections should be done at the same time as preparing a plan for your building or site.
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The health and safety of people before, during and after a disaster should always be the top priority. Possessions can be replaced. People cannot.
Ready America and FEMA provide information on preparing yourself, family, home, and business for disasters.
Being prepared can save time and lives when a disaster is imminent.
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Disasters can strike at anytime, sometimes with little or no warning. Experience has shown us that while natural disasters can leave a path of destruction there are also man-made disasters that can bring an area to its knees.
Being informed and preparing for those that could affect you are key to saving your site, building and collections.
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If any substantial changes are planned to prepare a historic building for a disaster please refer to the Secretary of Interiors Standards for the Treatment of Historic Structures and check with all local and state authorities before making any changes.
This article provides information on disaster preparedness in the face of floods, high winds, hurricanes, wildfires, and earthquakes.
Preparing your collection for a disaster could greatly increase what survives. Northeast Document Conservation Center recommends to first prepare an emergency preparedness plan.
This will allow your staff to respond quickly before, during and after a disaster with explict instructions that will provide the best practices for preparing and salvaging your collections. For assistance in preparing a disaster plan please refer to our Disaster Plan section.
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If a disaster has affected your collection, time is of the essence. The following pages provide basic information on a variety of materials that may be part of your collection.
The Salvage at a Glance series is part of the NPS Museum Management Program’s Conserve O Grams.
Conserve O Grams are short leaflets that focus on caring for museum collections. For the full version or additional leaflets please visit the Museum Management Program.
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NCPTT has released updated Building and Site Condition Assessment forms and a database for use in documenting the devastating effects of natural disasters on historic properties.
FEMA’s Environmental Planning and Historic Preservation Program are already putting these tools to good use to document effects of the April tornado outbreaks throughout Alabama.
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