With Hurricane season upon us, it is time to prepare for the worst while we hope for the best. While most of us spend time thinking about how we will protect our homes and property, and what we will do in the event there is an evacuation, we spend little time securing our valuable documents and electronic information. If you have a plan for your important family papers then you are well ahead of the curve, however, if you are like most people, the hustle and bustle of everyday life may have prevented you from taking the necessary precautions. If you fit into that latter category, there is still time to prepare.

Government agencies at the local, state, and national level, categorize records and assign importance so those records can be protected in the face of emergencies.  On a smaller, yet no less important level, individuals can do the same thing. We can preserve our personal records by thinking ahead and taking action prior to a potential weather event. And, in addition, many of the techniques utilized by government agencies can also be applied on an individual basis.

One of the best methods of protecting your personal records is through the creation of duplicates and through the dispersal of records to different locations.  A copy of documents such as deeds, mortgages, insurance policies, and others should be held at your home, if referred to on a routine basis, with the original secured in safety deposit box or other secure location. Secure options also include private companies that will store data off site for you at a minimal cost. A home safe or secure area within the home is recommended for storage on site. And in case of a weather event, those same copies can be placed into sealable plastic containers to be transported or to be left in your home during an evacuation. Lastly, any storage facility such as a bank should offer quick records retrieval in the event of an emergency and the loss of the copies at home.

While impending thunderstorms and possible tornadoes leave very little time for preparation, hurricanes at least, allow time to save records and to prepare the home to bear the brunt of the storm. There are several steps that can be taken in order to preserve as much of your personal records as possible. If you are evacuating, you may decide to take your backup computer discs with you. If not, you may want to have them placed in a safety deposit box at your bank. In a best case scenario, you should have made backup discs for all your data and stored them at a safe site (such as you bank safety deposit box). However, if you have not made those backup discs yet, now is the perfect time to do so as you prepare your home and property for a potential weather event.

In most homes, we rely on our computer and a host of paper records to maintain our personal finances, insurance policies, schedules, and myriad other items. If you plan to leave your computer in place you may want to wrap it in a plastic garbage secured at the electrical cord. The Alabama Department of Archives and History recommends that you turn off the computer and turn off the power at the breaker box but leave the computer plugged in as it will act as an anchor. As for paper records, if you are unable to remove them from your home, place them as far above the floor as possible.

In the end, no matter how much we prepare, there can still be damage to our records. However, for paper documents, at least, there may be hope for salvaging them. Paper records that receive water damage can usually be recovered if salvage work begins within two days. After 48 hours, mold and mildew develop rapidly and become much harder to combat. One tried and true method of salvaging both documents and books is to place them in a dry area with a fan blowing on them. Begin with the most saturated items first and do not attempt to unfold paper or to separate pages of a saturated book until they are much drier. When drier pages may be separated and paper towels can be placed between them to facilitate the drying process. Change the towels often and maintain the use of the fan throughout the process. Remember, this a lengthy process that if rushed through, may irrevocably damage the materials you are attempting to salvage. So be patient.

One last point that must be made concerns safety. When returning to a potential disaster site, always use caution. While it is important to retrieve records as quickly as possible to prevent further deterioration, it is even more important to use caution so that you do not compound the situation in an unsafe environment. There are some common sense proposals that should be incorporated into your plan if there is damage to your home. First of all, survey your property for structural damage and be wary of prospective hazards. Always stay away from downed power lines and report any potential gas leaks. Delay any recovery attempt until hazards are mitigated, regardless of the time constraints. When able to begin document recovery, always wear appropriate clothing including gloves and a respirator if dealing with a likely outbreak of mold. Remember, our records are important and their recovery can be of vital importance, however, our lives are more important.