Task Force Motto: Be Prepared!

For many Gulf and Atlantic Coast communities, summer brings the threat of hurricanes. Knowing how to respond effectively to water and wind damage can diminish loss. This month, the National Task Force on Emergency Response made a special mailing of its Flood/Hurricane Information Packets to cultural institutions in counties with a history of hurricane damage.

The packets include basic response and recovery information contributed by the American Institute for Conservation of Historic & Artistic Works, National Park Service, and Western Association for Art Conservation. The special mailing also introduces a new publication: Resources for Recovery: Post-Disaster Aid for Cultural Institutions. The 20-page booklet identifies the federal financial aid and information resources that can help institutions recover from damage to buildings and collections. It is sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and FEMA, in partnership with Heritage Preservation and the Small Business Administration. Click here for more information about the brochure.

More than 3,900 packets were distributed to museums, public libraries, historical societies, and archives in thirteen states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Normally, Flood/Hurricane Information Packets are distributed only to areas designated in Presidential disaster declarations. An increased commitment by the Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) for 1999-2000 task force activities made this advance mailing possible.

To see the previous Preservation Projects of the Month, click here.

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