flooding and water damage from mississippi floods- tips to save your stuff

8/14/2019 Flooding and Water Damage From Mississippi Floods- Tips to Save Your Stuff

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For Immediate Release To be used and modified as needed

Contact Scott M. Haskins 805 564 3438Fax (805) 568-1178

Flooding and Water Damage on the Lower Mississippi: Saving Art andMemorabilia:

3 Tips To Dry Things Out5 Tips For What To Do After Damage

Flood waters are rising and water damage is eminent as you read this on March11, 2010. The Mississippi is flooding a wide flood plain along most of the lengthbut concentrated from Cedar Rapids to St. Louis according to the U.S.Department of the Interior/ U.S. Geological Survey

http://la.water.usgs.gov/default.html

When you are confronted with water damage to your treasured family valuablesconsider calling for help. I got a call recently from an office manager that hadfour inches of water in the office piles of valuable office dcor, framed itemsand company memorabilia had gotten wet. Timing was critical for getting thethings dried out, said Scott M. Haskins, author of How To Save your Stuff FromA Disaster and Emergency and Disaster Preparedness Expert, in order to notlet mold take over.

Here are 3 very important Tips to follow:

1. Getting the items away from the wetness!2. Drying out wet items means getting the air moving with fans and3. Do NOT turn up the heat! It will accelerate the mold growth.

Flood relief community volunteer Matt Steward reported from another floodlocation, When we got there to help people, all we were asked to do is look forpeoples memorabilia floating in the water.

After everyone is safe and accounted for, the biggest reason people mourn aftera disaster is for the lost memories, things that cant be paid for by insurance:personal keepsakes and beloved memorabilia.

For those in the path of the storm, the horse is already out of the barn, referringto pre-damage preparation. As you read this, tens of thousands of Americans arecleaning up and searching for cherished items of family memories that have beendamaged and seem ruined. The question -- What to do now? -- has an answer.
http://www.doi.gov/http://www.doi.gov/http://www.usgs.gov/http://la.water.usgs.gov/default.htmlhttp://www.doi.gov/http://www.doi.gov/http://www.usgs.gov/http://la.water.usgs.gov/default.html


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Knowing what to do after a disaster has struck may allow you to save your mostcherished possessions. If its valuable either financially, historically oremotionally, dont throw it out just because its stained, moldy, wet or torn. Theremay be a way to get help.

Five tips on saving treasured items and heirlooms from a disaster --www.saveyourstuff.com. Some tips from the site for handling your wet itemsinclude:

1. Cradle wet papers, documents and light books in a strong paper towel.Dont handle them with your fingers: They will rip.

2. Putting muddy, dirty photos in a clean tray (tub) of water will keep themstable for days until you can get help or coaching.

3. Blot, blot, blot. Dont scrub and rub on your books, photos andcollectables.

4. Perhaps the best two items you can get after youve had water damage is

a big fan to move the air and as many paper towels as you can find.5. Call for an experts help!

Have you had books ruined by mold or photos that have stuck together in apile? Haskins asks. Perhaps you have had frames bashed, a painting that wastorn or that is now flaking? I recently visited yesterday with a woman who thoughtshe suffered a total loss from damage to her collectibles over six monthspreviously. She was still an emotional basket case. Upon inspection, all was notlost, her insurance company would pay to have them repaired and in the end,they could be returned to near perfect condition. With expert assistance andadvice, it doesnt have to be like that.

Stay hopeful and find help, Haskins says to those who have suffered damage.Much can be done to recoup your important items, even if its a long time afterthe fact.

The cost? Yes, thats a major factor, Haskins says. Thats why I try to empowerthe homeowner to do as much as possible. Most of the items to be retrievedhave no monetary value. Every dollar has to stretch a long way, especially intimes of crisis.

Scott M. Haskins, has worked in both Europe and the U.S. as a professionalconservator for the last 35 years. He routinely treats and saves items damagedby water and mold. He consults with people on innumerable other accidents. Heworks with the general public, historical societies, museums, corporations,private collectors, art galleries, state governments and the federal government.He is an expert witness in the Los Angeles Supreme Court system and on thepart of the federal government regarding public art issues. He has doneconsultation work for Pope John Pauls family, the Shroud of Turin project andthe Getty Conservation Institute among many others. He also wrote a booklet,
http://www.saveyourstuff.com/http://www.saveyourstuff.com/


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How To Respond After An Earthquake of which 500,000 were distributed by theBank of America Corp. in Los Angeles after the Northridge Earthquake.

flooding and water damage from mississippi floods- tips to save your stuff

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