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.
A Litany of Terrible, No Good, Very Bad Things that Can Happen After the Disaster. Randy Silverman.
Assessment Tools for Disaster Response and Recovery from NCPTT:
Building and Site Assessment Database (2011)- Combined NCPTT Building & Site Assessment Form (2011)
- Definitions (2011)
- Detailed NCPTT Building & Site Assessment Form (2011)
- Detailed NCPTT Building & Site Condition Assessment Instructions (2011)
- Rapid Building and Site Assessment Form (2011)
Chevis & Marcia Swetman House. Hurricane Katrina Damage. Photo: Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH).
Building an Emergency Plan: A Guide for Museums and Other Cultural Institutions. Compiled by Valerie Dorge and Sharon Jones.
Collections Emergency Response Team. 24 Hour Hotline (202) 661-8068. AIC-CERT responds to the needs of cultural institutions during emergencies and disasters through coordinated efforts with first responders, state agencies, vendors and the public. Volunteers can provide advice and referrals by phone at the number above. Requests for onsite assistance will be forwarded by the volunteer to the AIC-CERT Coordinator and Project Director for response. Less urgent questions can also be answered by emailing info@conservation-us.org.
Curriculum on Flood Damage Assessment of Cultural Heritage Properties. Stephen J. Kelley, AIA, SE.
Develop a Museum Emergency Operations Plan Conserv O Gram. National Park Service.
Disaster Management Programs for Historic Sites. David W. Look and Dirk H. R. Spennemann.
Disaster Plan Workbook. New York University Bobst Library.
Disaster Planning for Cemeteries.
Disaster Planning for Collections.
Disaster Preparedness Functions. This document provides an overview of tasks to be performed by individuals before, during and after a natural disaster strikes a museum or collection.
Disaster Preparedness Workbook for U.S. Navy Libraries and Archives.
Disaster Roles. This document takes a team approach to preparing, responding and salvaging collections after a natural disaster.
Disaster Preparedness Bibliography. Compiled by Melissa Heaver.
Disaster Preparedness Functions. This document provides an overview of tasks to be performed by individuals before, during and after a natural disaster strikes a museum or collection.
dPlan™:†The Online Disaster-Planning Tool. The online disaster planning tool funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Studies and the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training.
Emergency Supplies Stockpile Checklist. Geared for museums and collections, this document provides a list of materials needed on hand before a disaster.
Find a Conservator via the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC).
Heritage Preservation resources:
- Emergency Response and Salvage Wheel. This is a slide chart tool developed by the Heritage Emergency National Task Force that explains how to save collections after a disaster.
- Conservation Assessment Program.
- Contact information for state cultural agencies.
- Coping with Water Damage Video.
- Damage and Response Report Submission for the submission of damage to cultural institutions and collections.
- Disaster Response and Recovery.
- Field Guide to Emergency Response.
- Guide to Navigating Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Small Business Administration (SBA) Disaster Aid for Cultural Resources.
- How to Save Wet Books.
- Preparing Your Institution for Hurricanes.
- Resources for Response and Managing Recovery.
- Save Your Treasures the Right Way.
Heritage Emergency National Task Force.
Integrating Historic Property and Cultural Resource Considerations into Hazard Mitigation Planning.
Mold Summary in Emergency Response. Prepared by Hillary Kaplan of the National Archives and Records Administration, this document provides a brief introduction to the problems of mold after a natural disaster.
National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL) . Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Primer on Disaster Preparedness, Management & Response. This primer discusses how to plan for, salvage, and care for paper objects in emergencies, such as fire, flood, and earthquake. It was issued by the Smithsonian Institution, National Archives and Records Administration, Library of Congress, and National Park Service.
Risk Preparedness. The Federal Preservation Institute (FPI) has a large collection of documents about risk preparedness and disaster management.
Originally published September 29, 2008.