Disaster Recovery Manual : Water Damaged Paper-Based Materials - General Flooding

Water Damaged Paper-Based Materials - Generalized Flooding

1. In the event of a major emergency, contact the Department of Protection Services at x33900 or press the red emergency button on your phone.  They will then contact the appropriate members of the Disaster Action Team (DAT).  For help at off-site storage facilities contact the Department of Energy and Facilities Planning at (312) 443-3837.
2. Proceed into a disaster area ONLY after it has been declared safe by the museum administration, fire marshals, or health and safety officials.  DO NOT RUSH.  Remember that where there is water, there may be concealed hazards, such as electrical wires, broken glass or other sharp objects.
3. The DAT will appraise the damage and determine what help is needed and what supplies are necessary for recovery.  Have the Telephone Contact begin calling for supplies and services.
4. Control the humidity and temperature if possible.  Try to reach a temperature of 65º or less.  Everyone will be working hard so it won't seem too cold.  Reduce the humidity to 50% as quickly as possible.  This may be more difficult to control than the temperature; rent dehumidifiers if necessary.  DO NOT RAISE TEMPERATURE IN AN EFFORT TO LOWER HUMIDITY.  This is not the proper solution and will only hasten mold growth.  Fans should be brought in to increase air flow.  If electricity is out, arrangements should be made for portable generators.
5. Assess the degree of damage and determine which books should be discarded or salvaged.  Record keeping of both discarded and salvaged materials is of critical importance and will save time and confusion later on.  The shelf list and computer records are the logical tools.
6. Consult with conservation staff to determine what can be air dried and what would be better frozen or vacuum dried.  If these decisions cannot be made at that time, it is best to deep freeze everything worth salvaging.  Decisions about how to salvage can be made at a less frantic time.
7. Prepare books for freeze storage:
   1. Remove books and materials from the floor first, then proceed by removing books from the shelving. Remove items from the top shelves first, then proceed down.  This will minimize the possibility of shelf collapse.
   2. DO NOT open wet books.
   3. DO NOT compress wet books.
   4. Place each book spine down in the center of a piece of freezer or waxed paper, bringing the paper up loosely around the sides of the book in a U-shape.  Interleave books only if colors are bleeding or migrating. This usually happens with red or blue cloth bindings.
   5. Pack in milk crates with books spine down with room for air circulation and moisture escape. DO NOT pack tightly.  DO NOT pack fore edge down. If using cardboard boxes, line with a plastic garbage bag. This will keep boxes dry and prevent collapse from water soaked books.  
   6. Mark crates with some form of identification such as the original location of the books.
   7. Stack crates on pallets and band together tightly.  Remove pallets to freezer trucks for transport to freezer storage.
8. Prepare Architectural Materials, Maps & Archives for freeze storage:
   1. Archival documents and file folders should be packed upright as if they were in a file drawer. Pack in milk crates with room for air circulation and moisture escape. DO NOT pack tightly.  If using cardboard boxes, line with a plastic garbage bag. This will keep boxes dry and prevent collapse from water soaked items.  
   2. Architectural items such as blueprints, drawings, or maps, that are housed in flat files and drawers can be moved by removing file drawers and stacking alternately front to back.  Stretch-wrap or shrink wrap in place on a dolly or a pallet.
   3. Oversized materials can be packed flat with other items of similar size. Create a sturdy base of heavy-duty corrugated materials on a pallet or dolly. Stack wet materials as flat as possible.  Interleave only if absolutely necessary using Kraft paper or clean cardboard.
   4. Place rolled materials vertically in tall, lined boxes or movers' speed packs.
9. If material is under water and cannot be removed within 48 hours, consultation about adding chemicals to sterilize the floodwater is advisable.  Some materials are best left submerged until they can be treated.
10. Arrangements should be made for a safe area for on-the-scene treatment.  This area should have temperature and humidity control, but failing that, at least good ventilation.  Protect work surface with plastic sheeting and cover the sheeting with interchangeable layers of newsprint or paper towels.  Inspection teams should patrol on a continuing basis, turning materials, changing interleaving, etc.
11. Repair and sterilize the stack areas which were flooded before returning any materials to the shelves.  Inspect thoroughly for hidden water such as dampness under floor tiles, water in corrugated metal ceilings, etc.
12. DO NOT re-shelve materials until you are sure that the shelves are thoroughly dry and that proper temperature and humidity levels have been established and maintained for several weeks.
13. DO NOT reshelve books until they are bone dry.  Measure moisture remaining in hidden recesses of book spines with humidity indicator strips.
14. Site inspection should continue periodically for a year after the water damage to be certain that no mold infestation has occurred.

NOTE: As a general rule it is not advisable to remove mud, silt, or dirt from books at the flood site, but rather to allow it to dry and brush off later.  HOWEVER, if the materials are extremely dirty or if the contaminant is particularly noxious or toxic (sewage) it may be necessary to wash off at least the covers of the book before further treatment.  Hold the book gently closed with the fore edge pointing down to keep water from further wetting the paper and let a slow stream of water run over the spine.  Books that have been washed should be frozen immediately and dried carefully after the emergency has passed.