[ad_1]
After Cyclone Gabrielle raged through much of the North Island, many people will be attempting to salvage precious belongings damaged by floodwaters.
That could include at-risk personal photographic collections, or any organic material such as books, documents and paper that could succumb to rapidly spreading mould in the days after a flooding event.
Here are some tips on how to give your belongings the best chance of survival.
My belongings got damaged in the cyclone – what should I do?
All items should be considered as potentially contaminated by floodwaters, National Library field conservator Vicki-Anne Heikell says, so wear gloves, masks and other protective gear when handling.
Take lots of photos to record and document for insurance purposes and then make a plan of action. That includes finding a safe place to remove items for drying out and cleaning. Source any fans and dehumidifiers for the job.
READ MORE:
* Cyclone Gabrielle: What to do if your home has flooded
* How do you memorialise a protest?
* Alexander Turnbull library turns 100 with new Portrait Gallery exhibition
Jason Dorday/Stuff
Cyclone Gabrielle has caused widespread damage across the North Island, including to Piha, pictured.
Paper, books, photographs and digital materials are all at risk of water and mould damage.
Residual water and damp conditions increase the humidity that allows mould to become active – this is one of the reasons why it’s important to find a space that is dry, with circulating air.
All items need to be supported when being salvaged.
Photographs should be dealt with first, Heikell says, but avoid touching the surface of photographs as the water may have made the image layer soft. Photographs can be very gently rinsed in clean tap water to remove any mud or dirt.
If still intact, books can be stood up, fanned out and air-dried.
MONIQUE FORD/Stuff
Field conservator Vicki-Anne Heikell says all flood-damaged belongings should be treated as contaminated.
Books, papers and photographs can also be frozen – this can buy you time and allow you to deal with your items in smaller lots when you have time and space to do the work.
When freezing, groups of items can be interleaved with baking or wax paper and placed in zip-lock bags. They can also be wrapped in cling film before being labelled and frozen.
How can I keep my belongings safe in another event?
To give your belongings the best chance of survival in an extreme flood event, keep items off the floor on braced shelving or in cupboards, ideally in boxes or containers that can provide extra protection.
People should also store items away from external walls that may be more vulnerable to water entering, Heikell says.
With digital material, back-ups should be held in at least two different locations.
The National Preservation Office has helpful advice and information for individuals and organisations.
How do cultural institutions protect their collections from extreme weather?
Most cultural heritage organisations will have extensive preventative measures in place to help reduce risk to their collections.
They also have policies to respond and recover when disaster strikes.
Many are part of national and international bodies that share information and resources on the best practice care for collections.
Abigail Dougherty/Stuff
Auckland War Memorial Museum, pictured, is one of many cultural institutions in the super city with extensive flood prevention measures in place.
With Auckland War Memorial Museum, the building itself is its first line of defence in extreme weather, said the museum’s head of collection care Vasiti Palavi.
Property and security staff, who are on-site 24/7, carry out checks every day in all types of weather.
It keeps its collections above floor level, and its storage and displays are specially designed with the risk of flooding and other natural disasters in mind.
The museum also has well-stocked mobile disaster response kits, wet vacs and dehumidifiers.
Items at the biggest risk of water damage include photographic collections, but Palavi said a wider concern after a flood event is mould as this can affect all organic material and spread extremely rapidly when humidity is elevated.
Luke Appleby/Stuff
Te Papa in Wellington is designed to withstand even the most severe weather conditions.
Failing preventative measures, trained conservators (people who help preserve cultural artefacts) and collection managers are able to help repair damaged or deteriorating items.
Wellington’s Te Papa is also designed to withstand even the most severe weather conditions, said spokesperson Kate Camp.
The museum’s collection care team was always prepared for water-related emergencies, and stayed up to date with practices.
It also provided advice and funding to other cultural institutions on how to respond to flooding.
[ad_2]
Source link